Pluto Returns!
by rhapsodizing riyoko
Summary: COMPLETED but REUPLOADED!Pluto has returned!Anubis and Yurie are back, and not only do they want Ryuu,they are also keeping a close eye on the new girl,Shizuko.What's their plan?Will DDS still stand after their attack? THERE'S ONLY ONE ANSWER!
1. A Strange Email

**Okay, I don't know why, but this crazy idea came to me when I woke up one morning. While I still have my other fanfic to worry about, I've decided to start a new one. **

**One more thing: Shizuko is still here. **

**And another thing: Anubis and Yurie are still alive. **

**One LAST thing: I DO NOT OWN DETECTIVE SCHOOL Q.

* * *

****Pluto Returns!**

**By Rhapsodizing Riyoko**

**Chapter 1: A Strange E-mail**

"Shizuko! Get off the Internet now!"

"But Mother…"

"No 'buts'! It's time for dinner!"

Shizuko sighed. "All right, just give me five more minutes!"

"If you're not here in five minutes, I will personally feed your dinner to the dog!"

"Fine…"

A message alert flashed on the screen, calling her attention.

**_You have Mail!_** It displayed, winking at her.

_I do have five more minutes,_ she thought, clicking on the alert.

A new browser window opened, revealing a bizaare message:

**_PLUTO_**

**_An organization that sets out to give you satisfaction, no matter what the cost. _**

**_We have a number of experts, professionals and specialists at you disposal, for a small fee. _**

**_However, we only arrange things for you. We give a plan of action for you to execute, and you must take it upon yourself to do as you like._**

**_Even plots of revenge come at only a small cost. _**

"Weird," she muttered as she read on. "Why would anyone send me a message like this? Must be junk mail…"

A strange symbol served as the letterhead. It was a sphere, cradled by an arc and a cross connected to the center of the arc's curve.

Out of curiosity, she checked the email address that had sent it to her. What she discovered was disturbing.

_An anonymous e-mail address? Junk it, _she decided.

She deleted the e-mail, then proceeded to log off.

"Shizuko! Your five minutes are up!"

"I'm coming, mother!"

She shut down her computer and ran down the stairs to have her dinner.

* * *

Outside the house, a suspicious-looking character, with long blonde hair and a deathly pale complexion, clicked on his cellphone and spoke into in in a deep, raspy voice. 

"The girl has received the e-mail. Commence phase two of our plan."

"Are you sure of this?" a female voice emanated from the receiver.

"Oh, yes. DDS will get the shock of their lives."

He disconnected the call and looked up at the girls house.

_Nothing wrong with warning an unsuspecting victim. She knows nothing about us. Her guard is lowered. _

An evil smile curled along his lips. _Perfect.

* * *

_

The next morning at DDS, there was a certain amount of tension in the air. No one could really tell why, or how, but everyone could feel that something was about to happen.

Class Q didn't even complain when Mr. Hongou barked at them for about the thousandth time. And that, in particular, was a major warning sign. Something was on their minds.

Suddenly, the speaker mounted on their classroom wall crackled to life.

"Class Q and Class A, please report to Principal Dan's office immediately. I repeat, Class Q and Class A…"

"What?" asked Kyu.

"It must be really important," said Meg.

Mr. Hongou rapped on the desk. "Class Q! Due to this emergency, you are dismissed."

Class Q stood up. "Yes, sir!"

* * *

"What's going on?" Kyu asked Yuki, a girl from Class A. Class Q had arrived soon after Class A did. 

"We don't know yet. Principal Dan hasn't come out to tell us," Yuki answered.

"There's a really easy explanation for this, Class Q," said Saburamarou arrogantly.

"Principal Dan wants to switch the two classes so that we, Class A, will take our rightful place as the top class of DDS."

"What did you say?" Kinta yelled.

"Well what other reason could there be? Your new classmate must have brought your status down."

Shizuko clenched her fists.

"Hey, Shizuko's been more help to us than you've been to Class A, Saburamarou," said Kazuma.

"What? How dare you say that! I have an IQ of 180!"

"Well, let's see where your 180 IQ can take you, then," said Shizuko angrily, stepping forward. She raised her hands in a threatening kung fu stance.

"Ooh, I'm so scared. Look, I'm shaking," said Saburamarou sarcastically.

That drove Shizuko over the edge. "AI-YAAAH!"

She used an ankle sweep to knock Saburamarou off his feet. As he fell to the floor, she swept her hand to make a slicing motion against his throat.

"Aah! Help me, you guys!" Saburamarou pleaded.

The rest of Class A rolled their eyes.

"Why is he even in our class?" muttered Hayato as he shuffled a deck of cards in his hands. "He's useless…"

"Now I see why Shizuko refused to move to Class A," chuckled a voice from the doorway.

Shizuko released Saburamarou.

"Principal Dan!"

Dan Morihiko maneuvered his wheelchair into the office. "I know what you are all thinking. However, the matter which I called you here for is more grave than just a simple switching of classes."

He held up a piece of paper. "I assume that you are all familiar with this symbol."

He let the paper drop to the floor, and an all-too-familiar insignia glared up at them.

A sphere, cradled by an arc, and a cross connected to the center of the arc's curve.

The blood in Ryuu's veins suddenly went cold, and the hairs on the back of his neck prickled as an intense feeling of déjà vu crept into his senses. _It…it can't be…_

"Pluto…" he murmured.

"Yes. Pluto."  
Principal Dan suddenly looked grave.

"They've returned."

* * *

Rants: hahahahha! I am so nuts for thinking up something like this, but anyway... 

PLEASE REVIEW!

i think i made this chapter pretty short, heheh.


	2. A Kidnapping

**I have no idea where this chapter came from, it just popped into my brain when I was scribbling in my notebook during class. And I hope people don't hate me for this.**

**this chapter has been re-uploaded several times, due to some typographical errors and a minor correction in something Mr. Dan said.(i removed the "anyway" because a reviewer said that he was too old to use that kind of slang. heheh. thanks, mizukiandrea!)and thanks to all my wonderful reviwers! you are all so great! thank you thank you!**

**disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN DETECTIVE SCHOOL Q.

* * *

**

**Chapter 2: A Kidnapping**

"I've seen that symbol before," said Shizuko.

"What? Where? How?" asked Kyu. "You weren't with us when we last encountered Pluto. How could you have seen it before?"

"I received an e-mail last night about that Pluto organization. Kind of like an advertisement. I thought it was just junk mail, so I deleted it," answered Shizuko.

Principal Dan sighed. "They've most likely discovered that you were our new student, perhaps, and they sent that message as a tease. They obviously been watching you if they found your e-mail address."

"They're up and running again, and there is no doubt in my mind that will strike us soon."

Mr. Dan gazed out his window. "Very soon."

* * *

After Mr. Dan's disturbing announcement, Class Q began walking back to the old school building.

"What exactly has Pluto done to make DDS so incredibly on edge?" asked Shizuko.

"They're an organization that specializes in making murders happen for people who want revenge, or simply want to get someone out of the way. Anyone can come up to them, and, for a fee, get a foolproof plan for their kill," explained Ryuu, who looked a little paler than usual.

"That's right. Most of the cases that we've taken as Class Q have involved them in one way or another," added Meg.

"They even kidnapped Mr. Dan once, and got one of their members to pose as Ms. Katagiri during that time," said Kyu.

"Overall, one of their main goals is to destroy DDS, and Mr. Dan. Have you ever wondered why Mr. Dan is in a wheelchair?" said Ryuu.

"Actually, yes, I have wondered that. He couldn't have been in operations before if he was crippled from birth," said Shizuko. "I chalked it up to some kind of accident."

"The reason why Mr. Dan is crippled now is because Pluto attacked him once during one of their operations. He was lucky enough to be alive. Pluto is merciless. They kill if someone stands in the way of getting their job done. They don't leave people alive," said Ryuu.

"One of the things that make Pluto even more powerful is their ability to hypnotize people into doing their bidding. For example, let's say someone comes to them and asks for a murder plot. They give it to him for a fee, and then, they hypnotize him so that if someone ever discovers the plan, he either kills the person who discovered it, or he kills himself," said Meg, shuddering at the memory of their past cases.

"I see. No wonder Mr. Dan is really worried," said Shizuko.

Suddenly, she stopped in her tracks and turned, peering at something towards her right.

"What is it, Shizuko?" asked Kyu.

"Do you hear that?" asked Shizuko.

"Hear what?" asked Kazuma.

"I thought I heard something. Like a beeping noise."

"Yeah, I think I hear it too," said Kinta. "It's faint, but I can still hear it."  
Ryuu's eyes widened. "Oh, no…"

"What is it, Ryuu?" asked Meg.

"We have to get away from here. It could be a—"

_**BOOM!**_

A bomb exploded somewhere towards their right. Meg screamed as the force of the blast blew them all away.

As the dust cleared, Kyu got up shakily. "Aw, man…"  
Kinta pushed away as much debris as he could off of himself. "Is everyone okay?"  
"I'm fine," moaned Meg. "Bruised, but fine."

"That's good. Kazuma, Ryuu, Shizuko? What about you guys?"

"I'm all right," groaned Kazuma.

"I'm okay, I guess. I think I landed on something," said Shizuko.

"Yeah, me," muttered a voice somewhere under her.

Shizuko's eyes widened and she immediately got up off of Ryuu.

"I'm sorry, Ryuu," she said, embarrassed. She helped him to his feet.

"It's all right. I'm okay."

"What has happened?" a voice asked.

Class Q turned towards the voice. Ms. Katagiri was pushing Mr. Dan's wheelchair as fast as she could in their direction.

"Mr. Dan!"  
"We heard the explosion," said Ms. Katagiri, slightly out of breath.

"Class Q, are you all right?" asked Mr. Dan.

"We're fine," answered Kyu.

"What's going on?" another voice asked.

Gouda, Saburamarou, Shishido and Kuniko from Class A were all standing behind Mr. Dan.

"A bomb exploded," said Kinta.

"Where's Yuki and Hayato?" asked Kyu.

"What?" Shishido turned around. "They were right behind us a second ago..."

"Yeah, they were. When we heard the explosion, we all rushed out to find out what was going on. There was a mass of students in the hallway, though..." said Gouda.

"Maybe they got lost in the crowd," said Kuniko.

"Or maybe they've been kidnapped," said Saburamarou offhandedly.

"Don't say things like that, Saburamarou!" said Shishido.

"What? I was only kidding," said Saburamarou.

"This is no time for jokes! Can't you see that an evil organization is out to get DDS? How can you be so casual about it?" said Gouda.

"Geez, I'm sorry, then. No need to get all emotional," said Saburamarou.

"Yuki and Hayato still aren't here, guys," said Kazuma.

"They couldn't have gotten that lost in the crowd, it wasn't too much for us," said Shishido.

"Maybe Saburamarou was right," said Kyu hesitantly.

"No way! How could anyone get through DDS's security?" said Gouda.

"Well, they planted a bomb here already, who knows what else they could have done?" said Kyu.

"Pluto has amazing technology, you guys, and their disguises are convincing," said Meg.

"Let's search for them," said Principal Dan, trying to break up the argument.

"There's still a chance that Pluto didn't get them."

* * *

Class Q and Class A met up hours later, inside Principal Dan's office. They all looked dejected.

"Any sign of them?" asked Shishido.

Kyu shook his head. "No. Not a trace of them was found."

Gouda sighed. "This is bad, you guys. Pluto managed to infiltrate us, plant a bomb, and kidnap two students, all in one day."

Ryuu was sitting in the couch inside Mr. Dan's office with his arms crossed,a sure sign that he was either thinking, or troubled. (In this case, I'm sure that he was very troubled indeed.) _How could Pluto stoop this low? Kidnapping students. The bomb was a diversion so that they could grab Yuki and Hayato, but this isn't like them. They want ME to come back. What do they have planned?_

"Guys! Guys! You won't believe this!"

Kyu turned around. "What is it, Kazuma?"

Kazuma looked excited. "I just got a distress signal from YUKI!"

Everyone suddenly reacted.

"What?"

"Where is she?"

"Wait,hold on…" said Kazuma, typing furiously on his laptop. "Whoa!"

"What? Where are they?" asked Gouda.

"They're at an abandoned military base, just outside of the city!"

"An abandoned military base?" asked Shishido.

"I remember that place!" said Meg.

Everyone looked at her. "What?"

"I mean, I haven't been IN it, but I've seen the outside of it. It's a good place to hide out in! There are loads of structures, and they probably still get power from somewhere…"

"What are we waiting for? Let's go!" said Kinta, grabbing his jacket and putting it on.

He was about to reach for the doorknob when a voice said, "Wait a moment, Kinta!"  
It was Principal Dan.

"You can't just go barging out into the midst of Pluto." Said Mr. Dan.

"But Mr. Dan, we need to find Yuki!" said Kyu.

"I know. So I'm sending Mr. Hongou with you, Class Q. And as for you, Class A, you will have Mr. Nanami with you."

"Aw, man, that grouch is going to be with us..." muttered Kinta sourly.

"What was that, Kinta?" demanded an irritable voice behind him.

"AAH! Mr. Hongou!"

"What were you saying, Kinta?" said Mr.Hongou.

"Ah, nothing, sir. Nothing at all," said Kinta innocently.

"It had better be, or else..." muttered Mr. Hongou. "Class Q! Let's go!"

"Right!" chorused Class Q.

Inside Mr. Hongou's car, Class Q squeezed in. Shizuko wound up in the farthest corner in the back seat of the car. She was wearing her long coat again. And as usual, she looked like she had stepped out of Mr. Hongou's closet.

"What do you think happened to Yuki and Hayato?" asked Kyu.

"They don't seem to have discovered her homing signal yet. It's still going strong," said Kazuma.

"That, or they WANT us to find them," said Shizuko, gazing out the window with a very serious look on her face.

Ryuu stared at her. _That's what I was worried about._

Shizuko continued to stare out the window.

Dark clouds billowed outside, making things seem darker than usual, even though it was only early in the afternoon.

Ryuu stared out of his own window. _What does Pluto REALLY want?_

_

* * *

_**rants**: hahah! I'm leaving you hanging. The next chapter will come soon enough. 

**PLEASE REVIEW!**


	3. Bases Loaded

**Aaagh, I'm sorry for the lack of updates on this story, I was hoping to finish the murder mystery before adding to this one. (note to self: NEVER start two stories at the same time.) **

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN DETECTIVE SCHOOL Q.

* * *

**

**Chapter 3: Bases Loaded**

"We're here," said Mr. Hongou as he pulled up a few meters away from the abandoned military base. "Get out of the car."

As Class Q piled out of the car, Mr. Nanami's car pulled up next to them, along with what was left of Class A.

They left the cars in a patch of nearby trees.

"This is it?" asked Shishido.

The base looked as though it had been untouched for a long time. No signs of life at all.

Kazuma looked at his computer. "Yeah, the signal's coming from here."

"But there's nothing happening there, no one's even around," said Saburamarou.

"Nothing's moving at all," said Gouda.

"That's impossible. This base looks as though it's been abandoned, but I'm detecting a great energy source coming from it…" said Kazuma, trailing off.

"It probably has another way of harnessing energy, like a generator or something, that's hidden," said Ryuu. "Maybe it's…underground."

"The generator, maybe. But Yuki and Hayato are somewhere on the surface," said Kazuma, adjusting the image on his computer to trace Yuki's signal from a standing point of view.

"Forget tracing," said Kinta. "We have to get in."  
Ryuu came to the high, chain-linked fence. "They obviously don't want visitors," he said, touching the rusty, thick wires.

"How do we get in?" asked Kyu, coming up to Ryuu.

"There's a gate somewhere near here," said Meg.

"We can't use that…" said Shizuko. "Not unless we want to get captured…"

She looked at the nearby trees. "Does anyone have any rope?"

Gouda raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

"There's a building next to the fence…and a ladder is built on it…so if we can climb the tree, use the rope and get it around that ladder attached to the building…"

"We can slide into the base without having to break down the fence," said Kyu.

"There's rope in the car," said Mr. Hongou impatiently. "Kinta, go and get it."

"Me, me, me. It's always me," muttered Kinta as he made his way to Mr. Hongou's car.

Kinta returned moments later with the rope. Shizuko took it from him, and picked up a rock. She tied it onto one end of the rope and, swinging her improvised contraption over her shoulder, she climbed the nearest tree. She scrambled onto a thick branch and sat there, balancing her weight. Using the rope, she swung the attached rock in circles and released it, causing the rope to wrap around the ladder of the building opposite. The rock served as a brace. Shizuko pulled the rope taut, ensuring that it was secure. She tied the other end of the rope to the tree.

"Here goes nothing," she gulped nervously. She took off her coat and swung it over the rope. Holding on to it with both hands, she slid down the rope….

And landed on the other side of the fence.

Class Q sighed in relief as Shizuko climbed down the remaining steps of the ladder.

"Ladies first," said Kinta to Meg and Kuniko.

"Be careful, Meg," Kyu said, looking a bit concerned.

Meg blushed. "A-all right."

(For once, Kyu did not attempt to peek at Meg's underwear as she landed on the other side of the fence.)

Kuniko went behind Meg, looking nervous.

Kinta followed, sliding one-handed, since Kazuma's computer was tucked under one arm. Kazuma went after him.

Kyu slid after Kazuma, albeit a bit clumsily.

Ryuu came down the rope, undaunted, as though he had done it numerous times.

Saburamarou crashed into the building, causing the rest of the Class A members to look incredibly embarrassed. (read: sweatdrop)

Gouda slid down the rope next, followed closely by Shishido.

Mr. Hongou got in after the students, while Mr. Nanami, with a flourish, slid down the rope, one-handed, holding on to his hat, never messing up his fresh white suit.

Mr. Hongou rolled his eyes at Nanami's display. "Show-off…" he muttered.

Mr. Nanami, with a smile that was intended to annoy Hongou, straightened out his hat.

"Class Q, you're with me," said Mr. Hongou in a much more rational voice than usual.

"Right," said Class Q.

With a quick tip of his hat, Mr. Nanami nodded to Class A and led them in a different direction.

* * *

Mr. Hongou began leading them to the main building in the base. 

They slipped in through the back door...only to come face to face with a handful of Pluto members.

"INTRUDERS!" yelled out one of them.

"Aaaaaaahh!" screamed Class Q.

Mr. Hongou immediately sprang into action, taking out a couple of thugs. Kinta tossed his jacket aside and jumped into the fight with Mr. Hongou.

"Keep going!" Mr. Hongou yelled out to them. "I'll handle this!"

Kyu nodded. "Right!" The rest of Class Q charged right through the throng, Ryuu occasionally punching out a couple of them and Shizuko elbowing some.

However, as soon as they got through the pack of Plutonians, another bunch stood before them, looking threatening.

"We're trapped!" said Kyu.

Shizuko took out something from her coat and smashed it on the floor. A cloud of smoke engulfed them, obscuring them from the view of the Pluto members.

When the smoke cleared, the Pluto members were confused. Class Q had gone.

* * *

Kyu, Ryuu, Meg, Kazuma, Kinta and Shizuko were crawling in a ventilation shaft. While the smoke covered them, they had crept into a nearby air vent, making it seem like they had vanished. 

"I hope Mr. Hongou can take them out," said Kazuma.

"Shizuko, what was that thing?" asked Kyu.

"A smoke bomb," answered Shizuko. "I got it from a joke shop."

"Well, it worked. We got away from those thugs," said Meg.

"Kazuma, do you still have Yuki's signal?" asked Ryuu.

Kazuma struggled to open his computer in the narrow vent. "Yup, still going strong."

"Are we any closer to where she is?" asked Kyu.

"I can't tell exactly where…we need to get to the control room of this place so we can find them," said Kazuma.

"What if there are more Pluto members in there?" asked Meg worriedly.

"I'll take care of that," said Kinta, cracking his knuckles.

"So which way to the control room?" asked Kyu.

"Uh, wait," said Kazuma, trying to type in the cramped space. An image of the schematics of the building appeared on the screen. "We take a few turns down this vent, and then we can get to the hallway where controls are. Straight ahead. But I can't memorize this…"

"Meg, take a look at the plans and lead us there," said Kyu immediately.

Meg nodded. "All right. Kazuma, let me see."

It only took a moment's glance for Meg to memorize the plans. "It's this way," she announced.

Kyu followed after her, accidentally catching a glimpse of her polka-dotted underwear.

"Whoa, look, Meg's got polka dots on her—"

_**SMACK!**_

Meg had kicked out with her foot.

Ryuu looked a bit awkward to see them fight. "Shizuko, maybe you'd better go in front of Kyu...you're the one not wearing a skirt…"

"Those two…" Shizuko muttered as she eased herself behind Meg, blocking Kyu's view of polka-dot land.

Kyu rubbed the mark that Meg's shoe had left on his face. "Ow, that hurt…"

"It's the only way you'll learn not to peep at girls," said Meg from the front.

"But I didn't mean to peek! And you didn't have to hit me…" complained Kyu.

Their bickering voices floated over Shizuko's head.

"You could avoid telling everyone what you see," said Meg.

"I can't help it! You just have to have that kind of…"

"Stop it, you two," Shizuko sighed. "I'm in the middle here, and they might hear us out there."

Ryuu looked slightly amused nonetheless. He hid the smile forming on his face. _This is a serious situation and they still keep fighting. Those two…_

Kyu and Meg stopped their squabbling immediately, looking a bit uncomfortable in the cramped space.

Meg continued to lead them through the maze of tunnels. They reached another air vent. "We're here," declared Meg. 

"You're sure?" asked Kyu.

"Positive. That hallway out there is where the control room can be found."

"So how do we get out of here?" asked Kazuma.

"I'll push it open," said Shizuko. Reaching out, she gave a strong shove to the vent's grilled opening.

Meg crept out first, followed by Shizuko, then Kyu. Ryuu slipped out and assisted Kazuma, who was cramping up because he had to hold on to his computer all the way through the shafts.

Kinta pushed himself out of the vent, dusting himself off.

Kyu took the time to look around the hallway. "There doesn't seem to be anyone around…"

"For now," Ryuu remarked.

Kazuma was looking at the doors. "_Equipment_…_Uniforms_…here it is. _Control Room_."

He twisted the doorknob. "It's locked."

"Let's break it down," said Ryuu.

Kyu, Ryuu, and Kinta heaved themselves against the door.  
It didn't budge. Kinta sighed. "It's no use…"

Ryuu was rubbing his shoulder. "There has to be another way in…"

Shizuko took something from her pocket and went to the doorknob.

The rest of Class Q raised their eyebrows.

They heard her fiddling with the door knob, twisting it in different directions.

Shizuko pursed her lips.

"It's not working…" she mumbled, wrinkling her eyebrows.

She stepped back. Using all her strength, she kicked the doorknob…

And it clattered to the floor.

There was no hole where the mechanism was supposed to be.

"It's a dummy," Ryuu muttered. "Figures."

"So how do we open it?" asked Kyu.

Meg leaned against the wall. "If we can't get in…"

A hidden niche suddenly slid open next to her.

Kinta was stunned. "Look!"

Inside the opening was a small black box with an alphanumeric keypad.

"A password encoder," said Kazuma. "I'll handle this."  
He connected his computer to the device and began typing at incredible speed. The light on the little machine blinked red, then turned green.

The door creaked open.

Kyu shook his head. "They just had to complicate things…"  
Kinta slipped inside. "No one here," he announced, sounding disappointed.

The rest of them piled in.

"This is your kind of place, Kazuma," said Kinta. "Buttons everywhere, lights going on and off, all this high-tech stuff…"  
Kazuma rolled his eyes. "Whatever, Kinta," he said.

A bunch of screens were in front of them, along with about a thousand different colored switches, knobs, and dials.

Ryuu gestured toward the screens. "Footage from surveillance cameras..."  
"Yeah," said Kyu.

Ryuu gave a start at the image on one of the screens. It showed a person in a long brown coat, with bleached blonde hair. Although the individual was turned away from the camera, they could tell that the person had deathly pale skin: the hand that held the cell phone to his ear was whiter than snow.

A single black rose was on the desk behind him.

_Anubis, _thought Ryuu to himself. _He's still alive, dammit. WHY didn't he just die on the DDSunrise and disappear from existence?_

His anger at Pluto only intensified. _WHY DON'T THEY JUST GIVE UP?_

He clenched his fists. _WHY DID THEY HAVE TO DO THIS?_

Shizuko's voice broke through his heated chain of thought. "Ryuu, are you okay?"

Ryuu snapped back into reality. The rest of Class Q was discussing something in a corner. Apparently Shizuko had noticed his trancelike gaze and came up to him.

"You okay?" she asked again. He found himself staring into her piercing dark eyes, all seriousness at the moment.

He nodded. "I'm fine," he lied.

Shizuko furrowed her brow. "Doesn't seem like it."

He forced himself to look into her persistent eyes and said, "Nothing's wrong."

_I'm lying again, darn it,_ he thought as Shizuko, who nodded (though disbelieving), walked back to the rest of their classmates.

_If only I could tell them the truth._

He watched as Kyu suggested something and they all shook their heads.

_I can't…I can't put them in danger. If they knew…Pluto would target them._

Ryuu shut his eyes. _I can't let Pluto take them… no…no, not again, _he thought as a familiar feeling of anguish coursed through him. It made him feel sick to his stomach.

He pushed it away, trying to keep his emotionless façade up. _I…I can't let them see that it affects me…_

From somewhere far away, someone called his name. _Ryuu…_

"Ryuu…"said Kyu, waving a hand in front of his face.

Ryuu didn't even notice.

"Ryuu!"

His plethora of thought was shattered. "What?" he asked, regaining his composure.

"What's the matter with you? We've been trying to call your attention for the past few minutes," said Kyu.

"Aa, it's nothing. I was just thinking of something," he said. It wasn't a lie…he just wasn't telling the whole truth.

"Well, in case you didn't hear, Kazuma's found Yuki and Hayato. They're in a room somewhere on the second floor."

"I see. How are we to get there?"

Kyu grinned. "Take a guess."

"The vents? Again?"

"Yup," said Kyu cheerfully.

"All right then," said Ryuu. "Let's go."

The rest of class Q nodded their heads, Meg a bit reluctantly.

* * *

Shizuko had a strange feeling as they crept through the vents again. _Ryuu wasn't himself earlier. There's something he's not telling us. _

She continued to follow Meg, at the same time keeping Kyu from peeking under Meg's skirt.

Ryuu followed Kyu absent-mindedly, not really paying much attention to the ongoing argument that had ensued between Meg and Kyu.

While Shizuko was playing referee, he let his mind wander again.

_I didn't see Yurie on the screens,_ he suddenly recalled. _Is it possible that she's still alive? And why would she be here? What does she have to gain? _

Too many unanswered questions, he decided. He watched again as Shizuko resolved Meg and Kyu's little squabble.

_At least they're being light about this whole thing. I can't help thinking this way…_

With that thought, Ryuu shook his head, clearing his mind.

* * *

**rants: hmm. Does this chapter sound a bit like angst to you? I thought so.  
****PLEASE REVIEW!**


	4. The Rescue

**This chapter was written in a rainstorm. Gaaaah. I risked getting the computer struck by lightning. **

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN DETECTIVE SCHOOL Q.

* * *

**

**Chapter 4: The Rescue**

Class Q arrived at the second floor of the building. Since they were still in the vents, they didn't really know if anyone was still in the hallways they were going to…

Shizuko pushed herself forward and peeked through the grilled opening of the vent.

Squinting, she said, "All clear…"  
Meg sighed. "This is getting complicated…"

Shizuko pushed the vent open, causing Meg to tumble out, landing on her bottom.

"Ow," she muttered.

"Sorry, Meg," said Shizuko, embarrassed.

Kyu, who had just stepped out of the vent, immediately looked worried. "You okay, Meg?"  
"Yes, I'm fine," said Meg as Kyu helped her up.

Ryuu stepped out of the vent next, followed by Kazuma and Kinta.

_We're on the second floor. According to the video feeds, Anubis is on the third floor._

Ryuu looked at his classmates. _Can I leave them?_

They all looked distracted at the moment, debating their next move.

Ryuu took out the cell phone he carried in his pocket and turned it off.

_I don't want them to find me._

While they weren't looking, he snuck off quietly towards a nearby staircase.

Kyu looked up from Kazuma's computer. "Ryuu, what do you think? Ryuu?"

Everyone else turned around, expecting an answer from the enigmatic genius.

"Ryuu?"

He was gone.

"Where'd he go?" asked Kazuma.

Kinta growled. "That guy just goes off without telling us, I can't believe it…"

"I'm sure he had a good reason, he never does something without a purpose," said Meg.

Shizuko frowned.

"Maybe I can try reaching him on his cell phone," said Meg, taking out her mobile phone.

Shizuko shook her head. "You won't reach him that way. He already went off without telling us, and he probably turned off his phone."

Kyu sighed. "What are we going to do?"

Shizuko sighed, as well. "Maybe we can focus on finding Yuki and Hayato, first. Then, we can go look for him. There's no way we can let Pluto take three DDS students at once."

She looked up at them. "I'm sure Ryuu can take care of himself for the meantime."

_I hope,_ she added as an afterthought.

* * *

Yuki and Hayato were inside one of the rooms on the second floor. 

"Can't you do something to get us out of here, Hayato?" asked Yuki.

"I can't, for the thousandth time, because my magic doesn't do escapes. All it does is pulling rabbits from hats and makes birds appear from nowhere," muttered Hayato.

"Can't it get us out of these ropes?" asked Yuki, gesturing to the cords that now bound her wrists.

Hayato sighed. "I'm already working on mine, woman. The knots are tight."

Hayato continued to fiddle with his bindings. "I think…I've almost…"

The ropes slipped from his wrists. "Got it!"

As he stood up to cheer his own victory, however, he forgot about the cord tied around his ankles. He fell right on top of Yuki.

"Nice going, loser," muttered Yuki. "Your legs are bound, too."

"Hey, my ankles were probably so numb that I couldn't even feel the rope around them," Hayato complained.

"Yeah, whatever, just get off me," said Yuki.

"Hmph. You're the one not doing anything," muttered Hayato as he worked on the ropes over his ankles.

"What makes you think I'm not doing anything? I've been sending out a distress signal to DDS since we got here," she snarled in his ear.

"Why didn't you tell me, then? I could have just taken my time on these ropes without worrying."

"Because I don't really want Class Q to out do us again."  
"Like we've got a choice. Why'd you send out the signal in the first place?"  
"In case of emergency."

Hayato shook his head. "You're such a walking contradiction, Yuki."  
He had gotten free of his bindings.

"Oh great, now you're free. Help me," said Yuki, holding out her rope-bound wrists.

Hayato rolled his eyes. "Oh, NOW you need my help."  
"Just do it."  
"I won't until you say the magic word."

"Oh, like, what, 'abracadabra'?" Yuki said sarcastically.

Hayato frowned. "Don't mock my magic, Yukihira Sakurako," he said, using her full name.

"All right already! _PLEASE_," she said desperately.

"That's better," said Hayato, carefully reaching down and working on her cords.

As he did so, they heard crashing sound from behind the door of the room they were in.

"What's that?" asked Yuki, distracted.

The door suddenly burst open.

Kinta came into the room, grinning. "Well, isn't this sweet?"  
Hayato flushed. "I'm just getting her free."

Kyu stepped in. "Hey, you guys!"  
Meg burst into the room. "Hey, Mr. Nanami and the rest of Class A are here!"  
Yuki was surprised. "They came for us?"  
"Yeah, so let's go!" said Mr. Nanami, strolling into the room.

"Wait, one of our classmates is still missing," said Kyu.

Mr. Nanami frowned. "Well, at least we've found all of class A. I'll get the rest of these guys back to DDS so that Mr. Dan knows they're safe. I'll be back for you, Class Q."

Yuki looked annoyed. "But we're fine! We can stay with them!"

Mr. Nanami shook his head. "Mr. Dan's orders. As soon as one class is complete, they have to get back to DDS for protection. Since class Q still has one member missing in action, they have to find him and THEN they get out."

The rest of class A sighed. "All right," said Shishido. "I'll drive back to DDS."

Mr. Nanami tossed him the keys. "Fine. You'd better be at DDS. I'll be calling Mr. Dan to check on you."

Shishido nodded and sped off with the rest of his classmates.

"I have to go, too. I have to look for Mr. Hongou," said Nanami, rushing off.

* * *

"We have to find Ryu," Kyu said. "Meg, you can come with me. Kinta, Kazuma, the two of you can go together." 

"What about Shizuko?" asked Meg.

"I'll be fine," Shizuko answered. "I can handle anything."  
Kyu nodded. "All right, then. Let's go."

They set off in different directions.

Shizuko began her way to the next floor. _I can't believe Ryuu would go off without telling us,_ she thought, slightly annoyed.

Hearing a bunch of raised voices, she instinctively pressed herself to the wall.

_Where the heck are you, Ryuu?_

Meanwhile, Ryuu was stalking along the mazelike corridors of the third floor.

_Anubis, where the heck are you?_ he thought grudgingly. He wasn't looking forward to their meeting.

He spotted a half-open door. _Hn. _

He entered. Almost at once, the coat-clad figure of Anubis turned around, dramatically.

* * *

**rants: GO TO THE NEXT CHAPTER! IT'S UP!  
****PLEASE REVIEW!**


	5. A Revelation

**I posted this at the same time as chapter 4, since it was too important. And chapter 4 was very short!**

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN DETECTIVE SCHOOL Q.

* * *

**

**Chapter 5: A Revelation**

Anubis remained calm at his master's sudden appearance.

"Hello, Master Ryuu."

"Anubis," said Ryuu in reply. "What's this about?"

"Pluto, of course. What else could it be?"

"It seems to be running perfectly fine without me," Ryuu quipped sarcastically.

"That's where you are wrong. We are still scattered. Divided. Leaderless. But, then again, you are right, in a sense. It's running quite well."

Anubis faced Ryuu. "However, our mission here is not only about your rightful place in Pluto. There is…something—or rather, someone—that has caught our interest."

Ryuu's pulse sped up. _Who is he talking about?_

Anubis chuckled. "Don't pretend you don't know, Master Ryuu."

"Actually, I don't," Ryuu replied.

"Really? Clearly DDS has slowed your mind. A pity. But it cannot be helped."

Ryu clenched his fists. "Don't drag DDS into this."  
"But they are involved." Anubis paused. "Listen, Master Ryuu. I believe we have a guest arriving."

A girl's voice suddenly reached Ryuu's ears.

"Ryuu!"  
Shizuko came through the open door and grabbed his arm. "They've found Yuki—who the heck is that?" she asked mid-sentence.

Anubis bowed mockingly. "Master Ryuu, are you not going to introduce me to your charming little friend?"

Shizuko immediately grew wary. "Ryuu, what's going on? You know this guy?"

"I..I.." Ryuu trailed off, torn between them.

An expression of pain suddenly crossed Shizuko's face.

"Ow!" she cried, slapping a hand to the back of her neck. She turned around to see a red-headed woman holding a strange-looking gun.

Her vision began to fade.

The last thing she saw before completely blacking out was Ryuu's disbelieving and furious face.

"Shizuko. Shizuko!"

She had collapsed right into his arms.

Ryuu brushed away the hairs at the nape of her neck and came upon an object partially embedded in her skin.

"A dart," he whispered to himself.

He pulled it gently out of her skin.

"WHAT DID YOU DO?" he demanded of Yurie and Anubis.

Yurie remained expressionless. "Calm down. It's only a tranquilizer shot."

"Wait a second. You would never use a tranquilizer unless…"

In an instant, he knew. "No…"

"So, you finally figure it out," said Anubis.

"You're going to use her! Why?"

"Surely even you must have noticed, Master Ryuu," said Yurie.

"What are you planning to do? And why her, of all people?"

"When she first got into DDS's Class Q, we thought that she would be just like your other classmates, childish and mediocre. However, we were wrong," said Anubis.

"We began observing her doings, not only in DDS, but also in her daily life," continued Yurie.

"You were _spying_ on her?" Ryuu asked in astonishment.

"We found similarities between you and her. The intelligence, the genius, the resourcefulness. The talent for case-cracking that you both share," said Anubis.

"That _talent_ is precisely what got her into Class Q," said Ryuu testily.

"Maybe so. But what exactly do you know about her?" Anubis asked.

"Aah…" Ryuu racked his brain for something that Shizuko might have revealed. "She went through a lot of different schools as a child."

"But do you know _WHY?_"  
Ryuu couldn't say a word.

"Then allow me to tell you. She lived in New York for a few years, like you. Powerful command over English. Well-rounded in Maths. A sharp memory. Skill at several types of Kung fu. A multitude of artistic talents, with intensity in music. Computer expertise. An analytic mind," Yurie elaborated the abilities one by one.

"But behind all this excellence beats the heart of a true rebel, " continued Anubis. "She had a lonely life as a child. Although her aptness of academics would have made her an instant magnet for recognition and fame, her lack of friends drove her to rebellion. She used her intelligence to intimidate and wreak havoc on the schools she went to here."

"In Japan?" asked Ryuu.

"Yes. So she was transferred to New York in hopes that the change in environment would help her. She had relatives there who were willing to take her on."

"And it did change her for the better. There's no trace of that delinquent past in her now," said Ryuu firmly.

"Oh yes, the new atmosphere did have quite an effect on her. But now, knowing her history, we have come to believe that, with her skills at our disposal, she would be one of the greatest agents of Pluto that the world has ever known."

"You won't be able to do that. She would never do anything for an organization as evil as yours. She would never agree to work for you."

"Who says she has to agree? You see, this is the magnificent part of the whole plan. Despite all your similarities, there is but _one_ factor that you do not share."

"And what's that?" Ryuu asked.

"She doesn't have a drop of blood belonging to the clan of you and Hades. So, we can manipulate her to do our bidding. Unlike you, Master Ryuu, whom we are sworn not to lay a finger on. We can't _force_ you to be our leader. But her, she doesn't need persuading, or convincing. We can simply hypnotize her and unlock that same rebellious spirit that she has imprisoned inside her."

"You filthy, lying, cheating scum," Ryuu muttered under his breath.

"So here's the choice, Master Ryuu. Door number One: you can return to us, and we'll leave your precious little friend alone. Or Door number Two: you refuse, and we'll take her instead."

Ryuu was taken aback. _How can they force me to make that kind of decision?_

He held Shizuko's unmoving body in his arms. "And if I refuse both?" he challenged.

Anubis sighed. "I was afraid it would come to this. Yurie, do the honors."

Yurie went to one side of the room and pressed a hidden switch.

A siren blared throughout the compound.

Ryuu stared at Anubis. "What have you done?"

"This is Door number Three, Master Ryuu. This entire building will explode within several minutes. If you wish to escape, you'll have to find another way out of this maze of corridors. Or else…Good bye, Class Q."

Yurie pressed another button and a hidden door slid open. She and Anubis steped inside, and the door quickly closed.

Ryuu tried to follow them but the door they had gone through wouldn't budge.

_Dammit,_ the genius thought to himself as the sirens continued to blare.

_I have to get out of here. But first…_

He ran to Shizuko's side and held her by the shoulders, shaking her gently.

"Shizuko. Shizuko!"

She was still unconscious.

He carefully stroked her cheek. "Please, wake up…" he muttered desperately.

Shizuko seemed to stir, her eyebrows furrowing.

He wanted to yell, "_Finally!"_ but being the calm and rational person that he was, he kept his immense relief to himself.

Shizuko opened her eyes. "What happened?" she said weakly.

"Some Pluto members got you with a tranquilizer dart. But they're gone now, and we have to get out of here."

She still seemed a bit groggy, fighting off the effects of the anesthetic. "Why did that guy know you?" she asked persistently, trying to get to her feet.

"I...I can't explain right now. Can you walk?"

She struggled to get up. "My legs feel awfully stiff," she said.

Ryuu immediately pulled one of her arms around his own shoulders and lifted her to a standing position. "We have to get out. In a few minutes this place is going to explode," he said. Half-carrying her, they made their way awkwardly through the corridors.

"There's one thing I don't understand about all this," said Shizuko.

"_One_ thing?" said Ryuu.

"What were you doing with those guys? And how are you involved?"

"That's two things," replied Ryuu, stalling.

"You're not answering my questions."

"Because I don't know what would answer them."

"You do, Ryuu. Otherwise you wouldn't be stalling. You can let go now, I can walk."

Ryuu released her. "Keep going."

"Why weren't you knocked out?" Shizuko continued to ask.

"I have no idea," lied Ryuu.

"You know. You're just not telling me."

"Because I can't."

"So you _do_ know."  
_Shoot,_ thought Ryuu.

"You know why everything happened the way it did and I don't. and you're not even going to try and tell me."

"I can't tell you."  
"Why not?"

"It involves too much."

"And it would explain just as much. How are you involved with Pluto?"

"I'm _not_ involved."  
"But you were once, weren't you?"  
Ryuu remained silent.

"You can tell me," Shizuko insisted.

"It would be risking too much."

"So you'd rather leave me clueless about the whole thing. Wouldn't it be an even bigger risk not to know what you're up against?"  
"All _right_," said Ryuu, "I'll tell you. But not HERE, and not NOW."

"Fine, fair enough. Do you promise to tell me?"

"Y-yes."

"All right. I trust you."

Shizuko picked up her pace. "Come on. You said that this place was going to blow."  
Ryuu nodded, speeding up as well.

They ran down several more hallways, occasionally punching out several Plutonians. And Shizuko stopped her persistent questions for the moment.

* * *

**Rants: this is so weird. I don't even know why I started this story in the first place.  
PLEASE REVIEW!  
****Coming soon: Chapter 6: The Escape  
**


	6. The Escape

**I'll just spare you the long gory details of my intro and give you the chapter. **

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN DETECTIVE SCHOOL Q.

* * *

**

**Chapter 6: The Escape**

Kyu, Meg, Kazuma and Kinta met up again at the second floor. 

"Any sign of Ryuu?" asked Kyu.

Kazuma shook his head. "Nothing."

"Now even Shizu is gone," said Meg.

Suddenly sirens began to scream over their heads.

"Wh-what's going on?" asked Meg.

Kazuma flipped open his laptop and his eyes widened. "This place is gonna blow!"

"WHAT?" said Kyu. "But Ryuu and Shizuko are still missing!"

"Do you think she found him?" asked Kinta.

"I think she did and now they're both stuck somewhere," said Kyu. "If Shizu hadn't seen him, she'd probably be with us now…"

"Kyu!" a voice called.

"Kyu!" another voice yelled.

Kyu turned around. "Ryuu! Shizuko!"  
The two teens caught up to them.

"Where were you guys?" Kyu asked.

Ryuu looked a bit uncomfortable. "Ah, you see…"

"We got lost," said Shizuko, with a meaningful glance at Ryuu. "And then those thugs slowed us down for a bit. We got a little confused on our way back…"

Ryuu was slightly surprised. _Why'd she lie? Is she covering up for me?_

Shizuko flawlessly continued her thread, making it seem as though it had really happened. Even he would have believed it.

* * *

"There they are! GET THEM!" 

Class Q turned around at the shout. A whole gang of Pluto members flanked the end of the corridor.

"AAAH!" Class Q screamed, with the exception of Ryuu.

They began running through the corridors again, but another team of ruffians blocked their path.

"ALL RIGHT, THAT'S IT! I'VE HAD ENOUGH!" Kinta yelled.

Dramatically, he tossed aside his jacket and cracked his knuckles threateningly. "Come and get me if you can, you Pluto jerks!"  
With a warlike whoop, he charged towards the Pluto members and began striking them with his expert martial art moves.

Kyu said, "Come on! We can try to get through!"

They charged through the throng, as Kinta continued to brawl with the other thugs.

"**_Kyuuuu!_**" someone screamed.

Kyu turned around immediately. "Meg!"  
One of the Pluto members had gotten her.

"Ahaha," the thug snarled, baring his yellowed teeth. He turned around, taking Meg as some kind of hostage.

"Help!" Meg cried.

Kyu then did something both very brave and very stupid: he sprinted towards the Pluto member and managed to fasten his arms around his neck from behind. He began hitting his foe on the head with his fists, looking a bit comic as he did so.

"Let her go, you, you…" Kyu continued to pound the guy, not caring whether he hit skull or neck.

The ruffian couldn't care less. "Idiot boy," he muttered, shaking Kyu off easily. Kyu fell to the floor, a bit painfully, but he didn't really care. He got up and hurtled himself towards the thug, trying to attack again.

Kinta, seeing the struggle, sprang into action and knocked out the Pluto member with one of his martial arts moves. The thug slumped to the floor, his eyes rolling back into his head. Meg was released.

Kyu immediately came to her side. "You okay, Meg?"

Meg nodded, a bit shaken. "I'm fine, thanks."

She suddenly flung her arms around him. "Thanks, Kyu..."

Kyu flushed all the way to his hairline. "Uh…"

Kinta was grinning from ear to ear. "Hey, lovebirds, this place is gonna blow, remember?"

"Ack! Right!" Kyu exclaimed, untangling himself from Meg but still continuing to hold onto her hand. "Let's get out of here!"

They ran down the corridors and reached the building's exit, where Mr. Hongou and Mr. Nanami were fighting off their own batch of thugs. At the same time, they were arguing, a battle of words ensuing as they knocked out the increasing number of ruffians.

"Mr. Nanami! Mr. Hongou!" Kyu called.

The two pissed off teachers paid no attention as they continued to argue, although they took out about five to ten Pluto members at once.

"This is serious, Nanami! You just let them take your car like that!"

"Hey, they're at DDS now!"

"So what? They could be here right now, helping us!"

"You're such a tough guy anyway, let's see how you match up against these guys!"

"So you sent them back because you wanted to challenge me!"

"That's right, Scarface!"

"WHAT DID YOU CALL ME?"

"Oh, did I say that out loud?"

"Grrrr…"

Class Q looked awkward at the exchange between the two teachers. (In the anime world, they sweatdrop.)

Kazuma stared as their instructors took out their anger on the Pluto members. "Whoa," he said. "They obviously don't get along too well."

"They hate each other's guts," said Kinta.

Kyu yelled at the teachers again. "Mr. Nanami! Mr. Hongou! This building is going to explode!"  
_That _caught their attention. "What!"  
The two teachers looked at each other in surprise.

"Why didn't you tell me it was going to blow?" demanded Hongou.

"You should have known, you were the one who was here all day!" said Nanami.

"Are you trying to pin this one on me?"

"Of course not! I'd never do a thing like that!"

"Here they go again," said Kazuma.

Nanami pushed over his last thug. "Let's get out of here!"  
Hongou took out a couple more Pluto members, and then followed behind Class Q as they dashed out of the building and onto the open space in the field.

A rumble of an engine reached Ryuu's ears. He turned around to see Anubis and Yurie drive out of the base. _Dammit, they're not gonna give up. Someday, I hope Pluto will be destroyed forever._

A computer-generated voice echoed around the base. "Self-destruct will initiate in ten seconds. Ten….nine….eight…"

Everyone panicked, and picked up their pace as they ran towards the nearby exit gate…

"Five…four…."

Kinta came last, closing the gate firmly behind him and running into the patch of trees…

"Two…one."

The entire complex exploded in a blaze of flames and smoke.

The whole group ducked their heads as debris flew into the air and rained down on them like hail.

Kyu covered his head, feeling some rough grains of cement and metal pieces shower down. Meg and Kinta did the same, next to him.

Kazuma ducked his head, but covered his computer with his body. Mr. Nanami had taken him under his arm.

Ryuu put his arms over his head in an effort to protect himself from falling debris. His blue-tinted hair looked a bit of a mess.

Shizuko pulled her coat over her head.

Mr. Hongou dropped to the ground, shielding his head.

As soon as the downpour of dust, cement, and metal ceased, they dared to look up at each other.

Without another word, they all squeezed themselves into Mr. Hongou's car, and left the scene.

* * *

Ryuu collapsed into his and Kyu's bed that night. 

"Rough day, huh?" said Kyu.

"Hn…" Ryuu replied, too tired to speak about it.

Kyu's mother had looked incredibly shocked at their state when they came through the front door. She had hugged them both, very tightly, and then in a sort of flustered state, prepared an extra big dinner for them, as a compensation for their physically exhausting day.

Kyu crumpled into bed, too. "I can't believe they're back again, Ryuu. I thought that after the DDSunrise, Pluto wouldn't be back again."

"So did I," said Ryuu tiredly.

Kyu rolled over to his side of the cot. "Well, anyway, I'm going to sleep now…good night, Ryuu."

"Good night," Ryuu replied.

Soon after Kyu's snores filled the room, however, Ryuu was still awake. Although his muscles ached from the tiresome experience he had, thoughts continued to flood his mind, keeping him awake.

His blue-tinted hair fell into his eyes as he rolled over, thinking. His gray eyes hazed over a bit, as he recalled the way Shizuko had flat-out lied to the rest of Class Q to shield him. _She didn't need to find out everything to know that I didn't want to reveal my involvement with Pluto. I was surprised when she fibbed. And so well. No one even suspected. _

He recalled how Anubis has revealed Shizuko's shocking history. _She was a delinquent. No one even suspected. How did she make it into Class Q with such a record? Then again, her talent must have counted for a lot, and I'm sure Mr. Dan must have met her face-to-face in order to actually approve her enrolment in DDS. Mr. Dan must have seen the great potential in her…_

_The same way that he saw the potential in me…_

Mr. Dan's words came back to him.

"_Ryuu Amakusa took the test in New York, where he's been staying. I have great confidence in his skills…"_

Ryuu closed his eyes, trying to block out all his thoughts. His entire body was sore, and he was weary. Somehow, there was something in his mind that just wouldn't quit.

"_Do you promise to tell me?"_

"_Y-yes."_

"_All right. I trust you."_

_But will she still trust me after she knows everything? Will Class Q still trust me?_

He turned over, hair falling into his eyes again. He brushed them away absent-mindedly.

_What will happen after they all know how I got involved with Pluto? How would Mr. Dan react when he finds out that one of his students, someone he had great regards over, someone in Q class, moreover, was in fact an emissary of Pluto?_

_Former emissary, _he reminded himself. _Pluto is now my enemy._

He shook his head. _What am I going to do?_

Another voice woke up inside of him.

_Tell the truth._

_No way,_ said another voice inside his mind. _What will happen to me if I do?_

_What will happen if you don't?_ the other voice insisted.

Ryuu nearly sat up in shock. _Oh great. Now I'm arguing with myself. _

The voices in his head stopped.

He sighed heavily. _FINE. I'll tell her, at least. _

With that last thought, for some odd reason, he was finally able to sleep.

* * *

**Rants: this is weird. Poor Ryuu…anyway.  
****PLEASE REVIEW!**


	7. Ryuu's Decision

**Yeah, the next chapter. Sorry for not updating fast enough, I'm running out of drive to type things up…and I was having a problem with this story, I can't believe I started this in the first place.**

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN DETECTIVE SCHOOL Q.

* * *

**

**Chapter 7: Ryuu's Decision**

Ryuu woke up the next morning with the rays of the morning sun dancing across his eyes.

_What? It's morning already?_

Kyu was asleep next to him, adding his snores to the chirping of the birds.

Ryuu cringed. Sure, he could sleep through Kyu's snores at night, but in the morning…

He sighed and got off the bed, going to the bathroom to take a shower.

"_Snoooooorrrr..._" was Kyu's only protest as the sheets slipped off him.

Ryuu shook his head as he watched Kyu roll over, conquering what used to be his side of the bed.

Ryuu stepped into the bathroom, undressed, and then the gush of water was heard as he took a bath.

* * *

Kyu seemed to be waking as Ryuu walked back into their room pulling a gray turtleneck sweater over his head. 

Ryuu raised an eyebrow at Kyu, who still seemed to be drifting somewhere between consciousness and slumber. Kyu mumbled, "Meg…" and then rolled over and went back to snoring.

Ryuu wanted to laugh, seeing that Kyu was probably dreaming about the pink-haired girl at the moment.

Kyu's mother was in the kitchen as Ryuu came down for breakfast.

"Good morning, Ryuu," she said cheerfully as he sat down at the table.

"Good morning," Ryuu replied, smiling.

"Is Kyu awake yet?"

"No, he's still asleep...somewhere along dreams and reality, probably."

"Ah, that boy was always a late riser," she said amusedly. "Are you going somewhere today?"

"Hm? Oh, yes, I am…"

"All right, then, I'll tell Kyu when he wakes up. Eat, now," Kyu's mother told him as she set down his breakfast in front of him.

"Thank you," Ryuu replied.

* * *

Some time later, Ryuu found himself knocking on the door of Shizuko's house. 

A boy, several years older than he was, opened the door. "Yes?"

"Good morning…Is Shizuko around?"

"Yeah, she is. Come in, I'll call her…are you one of her classmates?"

"Ah, yes."

As Ryuu stepped over the threshold, he could distinctly hear the faint strains of a violin playing.

The dark-haired boy ran up the stairs like a track champion. "Shizuko!"

The violin music stopped.

"What is it?" Shizuko's voice carried over to the living room.

Muffled voices conversed shortly, and a few moments later, Shizuko came down the staircase.

Ryuu stood in the middle of the living room.

She raised her eyebrow at him. "Oh, it's you."

"Hi," said Ryuu hesitantly.

Shizuko came all the way down the staircase cautiously. "Why'd you come here?"

"Well, we need to talk, don't we?"  
Shizuko nodded. "Yeah, you're right. Let's go into the kitchen. We'll talk better there."

Ryuu followed her into the room, where she sat at one end of the kitchen table.

He set himself down on the seat opposite her.

So they sat there, facing each other in awkward silence.

Shizuko folded her arms on the table. "So…"

"Uh, yeah, well, first, I have to tell you…thanks for not telling the rest of Class Q that you got knocked out and that...stuff," Ryuu began. "But why'd you do it anyway?"  
"It doesn't take a genius to figure it out. You're involved with Pluto, for what reasons I have no idea, and what happened in that room was obviously something that I can't know and, in turn, Class Q can't know. And since you went all tongue-tied when Kyu asked where we were, I made up something on the spot."  
Ryuu nodded mutely.

"So…is that all you came here for?" asked Shizuko.

"Well, I thought things over…and you're right. About yesterday. What you said about not knowing would be more dangerous…"

Ryuu sighed. "I really don't know if I should tell you, but I figure you do deserve to know what happened yesterday."

"What did they want with me, anyway?" Shizuko asked.

"Well, they needed you. When they hit you with the dart, they planned to take you away, to make you one of them."

"And _why_ in the world would they think I'd join them?"

"Because they know your history, and your past. They told me."  
Shizuko lifted her arms from the table and leaned away from him. "So you know."  
Ryuu looked down at his hands. "Yes. I know about your so-called delinquent past. Pluto spied on you and found all your records, maybe. "

Shizuko pursed her lips and turned away a little. "That's in the past now. Do I look like someone who wants to do it again?"

"No. But then, you're not the only one in Class Q with a deep secret."

"So what's _your_ story? How do you tie in with"—she made a circular motion with her hands—"all this?"  
Ryuu sighed. _So it comes to this. _

"Fine. You were right. I _am _involved with Pluto."

"Okay, that I suspected. How were you trapped inside their twisted little world, Ryuu? Somehow you don't strike me as the type who joins evil organizations for the heck of it."

"I'm not," Ryuu insisted. "I was forced into it. And I had no choice. It's in my blood."

"Your _blood_? You mean…"

"My grandfather is the leader of Pluto. I'm supposed to be next in line."

"_What?_" Shizuko looked completely disbelieving, as though she had just stepped into an alternate universe where striking, mysterious guys turn out to be heirs to malevolent secret societies.

Unfortunately, this was _reality_, and not a dream. She tried to digest the information. _Ryuu is the HEIR to Pluto. THIS I never expected. _

_Now_ Ryuu looked a bit uncomfortable. Shizuko was staring at him with an incredulous look on her face. She shook herself mentally, bringing her mind out of its shocked state.

"Okay, I know you're not kidding me. But this is unbelievable."

Ryuu shifted his position uneasily. "It's true. But I don't want to. I told them over and over that I didn't want to be part of them."

"Now I see why you live with Kyu. How did this happen?"

"My parents died when I was still very young. My grandfather arranged to have me taken care of by one of the members of his organization. To be precise, the woman who shot you. Her name was Yurie. My grandfather sent me to New York, so that I would be isolated, in a sense.But the thing is, she was ordered to never let me out of the house. I felt like I was imprisoned. I couldn't do things a normal kid did."

"Soon, I had to leave New York. You can probably guess why."

"DDS, I assume," said Shizuko.

"Yes. My grandfather wished for me to be enrolled there. I was to be…well…their spy."

He looked up at Shizuko, expecting some kind of violent reaction. He saw the muscles in her face tighten, but still seemed to be listening, which was a good sign.

"During my time at DDS, something happened. I got into Class Q, as you know, and I had been warned not to get too close to anyone, even my classmates. So I forced to cut myself off from the rest of them. But, to make a long story short, things changed. For the better, in my opinion. I decided that I'd had enough, and refused to do any more for Pluto, because I realized that my friends were more important than some order placed before me."  
"Needless to say, Pluto didn't approve of my actions. One of their leaders, Anubis, warned me that I had no choice in the matter, and that I wouldn't be able to escape my destiny. Apparently they think my destiny is with them."  
"The most recent encounter we had with Pluto before this one was on the DDSunrise, which was the school's boat at the time. They had kidnapped Mr. Dan just to get me to come to them. When I refused, again, to return to Pluto, they set off a self destruct mechanism that blew up the vessel. The rest of us escaped, thankfully. I thought that Anubis and Yurie had remained on the boat and died, but I guess I was wrong. They had escaped and returned for me."  
"And…It seems like they've been keeping an eye on you too."

Shizuko frowned, running a hand through her dark hair. "Why would they? Did I threaten their organization in any way?"

"On the contrary, they thought that you and I shared so many similarities that they could actually use you and hypnotize you to do their bidding. Your past was what really interested them. They figured that if they captured you, they could get you to use your rebellious side again. They were _that_ desperate, using someone this way to try and undermine DDS. And, as a bonus, they could use you as leverage. If I refused to return, they would take you and at least have half of what they came for. If I came back, they'd let you go, and it would be like nothing ever happened. Either way, they would win. I couldn't let them do that…and I'm sorry you had to be involved."

Shizuko looked very troubled. _I'm sitting in the same room with the heir to Pluto while he spills his guts out to me._

"Look, it's okay, everything seems to be back in some sort of order, anyway," said Shizuko.

"Pluto is still alive! They could do this sort of thing again!"

Shizuko ran a hand through her hair again. "I think, from what I understand of you story, is that they can't actually do anything to you to force you into their circle again."

"Yes, that's true, but it'll be a lot of trouble for DDS. They'll just keep attacking. "

"So let them attack."

"Are you crazy? They'll destroy everything!"

"Who says we're not going to do anything about it? Ryuu, their main goal here is _you_. And as long as you don't return, they'll never grow in power, and they'll be defeated eventually. They'll never claim you as their leader, Ryuu. I can sense that. They can't force you to be something you're not. Only you have that power."

Shizuko sighed. "You've been harboring these secrets ever since you entered DDS. When you decided that you'd had enough, why didn't you tell anyone?"

"It would have given them reason to distrust me," said Ryuu a bit testily.

"Ryuu, if you really thought we were your friends, don't you think we would accept you for who you are?"

"Someone would have informed Mr. Dan, who, in turn, would have expelled me from DDS, in order to protect his school. And there are other spies in DDS! Even though I don't know who they are…" Ryuu sounded almost like he was desperate for someone to believe him.

"Look, how do you know that all that will happen if you don't at least try to tell them?"

"_Because I know!_" Ryuu yelled, slamming his hand down on the table. "_They'd never trust me again if I did tell!_"

Shizuko, stunned by Ryuu's reaction, involuntarily pushed herself backward from him, almost falling from her seat as she did so.

Ryuu immediately regretted having exploded at her; in addition to a feeling of guilt that was eating away at his insides, he now had a throbbing pain in his hand where he had slammed it on the table.

He sat back down limply, having half risen from his seat when he lost his temper. Shizuko leaned towards him again, carefully. She was a little scared of him now, she could admit that, but she could tell that Ryuu was too much of a gentleman not to feel guilty about it.

"I'm sorry," she heard him mumble.

"I-it's okay," she said.

"I just can't believe that they're back…now I have to keep my guard up. You don't know how it feels, Shizuko, living in fear of everything around you, knowing that you're being watched all the time."

"You should trust yourself more, Ryuu. And relax. You'll do a much better job that way."

She leaned back in her chair, thinking. "Maybe it _is_ for the best that they've returned."

"What?" he asked, looking at her strangely. _Sometimes I really don't understand how she thinks. _

"Well, look at it this way. Since they _are_ here, and they're probably plotting their next move and stuff like that, well, you can finally face what you've been running from for so long. I mean, you can't avoid something forever, Ryuu. When they come for you again, you'll know what to do."

* * *

Ryuu came back to Kyu's house later that morning, in a sort of daze. 

He walked through the front door and came into the kitchen just as Kyu was finishing his breakfast.

"Hey, Ryuu," said Kyu cheerfully. "Where've you been?"

"Ah, I just went to Shizuko's house…"

"What did you do there?"

Part of Ryuu wanted to tell him about what really happened, why he had actually gone there, and the whole story. But still…

_No. Not yet. Kyu can know when I know for sure what I'm going to do. _

He put on a casual face. "Oh, it wasn't much, really. We just talked."

Kyu blinked. "That's it?"  
Ryuu nodded. "Yeah. That's it."  
He walked back into their bedroom.

Kyu shook his head. Ryuu was always like that, not really sharing much about himself.

Although, before he turned around, he thought he caught a faint trace of a smile about the enigmatic boy's lips.

**-:owari:-

* * *

**

**rants: OMG is that it? to be honest, I'm not sure if I really wanted it to end this way. But then again, you know how it is, right? I suck at writing anyway, and this story makes no sense at all, even to me. I can't believe I thought up something like this. **

**PLEASE REVIEW!**

**Or kill me, if you wish. I don't blame you, since this story really sucked...**


	8. DDS Strikes Back

**Come on, you didn't REALLY think that I would leave the Pluto story at THAT, did you? **

**PLUTO MUST BE DESTROYED. **

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN DETECTIVE SCHOOL Q.

* * *

**

**Chapter 8: DDS strikes back**

The atmosphere at DDS seemed a little bit awkward the next day.

Something in the air didn't feel right, and no, it wasn't because of Saburamarou's nauseating cologne.

In the old school building, where Class Q was preoccupied with Mr. Hongou's lectures, the intercom crackled to life again, for the second time in days.

"Class Q and The rest of Class A, please report to Principal Dan's office immediately."

Class Q looked at each other with confused looks on their faces.

"Again?" asked Kyu.

Mr. Hongou shook his head and dismissed them.

* * *

"What's going on?" asked Kyu as soon as he entered Principal Dan's office. 

Kuniko, Shishido, Saburamarou, Hayato and Gouda were there, sitting on the couches.

"And where's Yuki?" asked Meg.

"She's in the office with Principal Dan. She said she discovered something important," said Hayato.

"Oh, about what? Pluto?" asked Kyu.

"I guess," said Gouda, fiddling with the Rubix cube he had in his hands.

Shizuko gave Ryuu a significant look.

"Everyone, I have news."

Principal Dan entered the room. "While one of your members Yuki was captured, she seems to have discovered where Pluto has been running their headquarters."

"What?" asked Kyu. "I can't believe it!"  
Yuki walked into the room behind Mr. Dan. "I overheard some guys talking about it. They thought I was unconscious at the time and didn't bother to keep their voices down. I heard everything perfectly."  
Mr. Dan spoke again. "We can't afford to waste any more time, now that we know where they've been hiding out, we must make our move now. Nanami! Hongou!"

The two teachers, who were glaring at each other in a corner of the room, suddenly turned as one to face Principal Dan. "Yes, sir?"

"I want the both of you to take responsibility for this mission. Pluto made their move first, but now, we have to prove to them how strong DDS is."

"Class Q, and Class A. I want to ask this of you. Please go with them on this mission."

"WHAT!" Class Q and Class A said together.

"Mr. Dan, are you serious?" asked Kyu.

"Yes, of course. I know that you are both capable of this kind of assignment. And I know that it is only with your help that Pluto can be destroyed, completely."

"Can you do it? Can I trust you to make DDS proud, as you always have?"

"Yes, sir!" they all chorused.

"There's only ONE answer!" cried Kyu.

* * *

"Is this it?" asked Kazuma when they arrived at the so-called Pluto headquarters. 

It looked like an old mansion gone to seed. Some of the stained-glass windows had cracked, and vines clung to the high walls.

"It looks like it's been left for a long time," said Meg, taking in the sight.

"Or not," said Ryuu, pointing out an obviously newly-installed intercom and video surveillance camera. Fortunately, the camera was facing away from them at the moment.

"Some headquarters," said Shishido.

"It doesn't look like there's much left," said Hayato.

"Don't underestimate Pluto, you guys," said Ryuu. "For all we know this could just be the tip of the iceberg…whatever evidence there is of Pluto won't be out here for everyone to see."

"Or, perhaps, hidden in a way that was so obvious that it wouldn't be noticed," said Shizuko, staring at something.

"What are talking about?" asked Kyu, seeing her gaze. "What are you looking at?"

"Look," she said, pointing at something directly in front of them."

In front of them, they hadn't noticed it at first because of all the clinging vines, but on the wall, _very_ faintly carved, was the symbol of Pluto.

"Whoa," said Shishido. "Freaky."

"Well, that confirms it," said Ryuu. "We're in the right place."

"The right place for a scare you mean," said Shizuko. "It looks like something straight out of a horror movie."

"Well, this is reality," replied Ryuu. His gray eyes misted over a bit. "And it's going to be even worse than any horror movie we'll ever see."

"How do we get in?" asked Meg.

"I wish we could break in, literally," muttered Shizuko. "If there's anything over that wall…"  
She tried to climb the wall using the vines.

"Wait, wait," said Kinta, coming over and helping out Shizuko.

She climbed on his shoulders and looked out over the wall.

"Okaaaay…" she said.

"What do you see?" asked Kinta with a grunt.

"A whole lot of trouble," she answered. "There's a bunch of Pluto members guarding everything. We can't go over this fence without getting caught."

"Well, if we can't go from above…" said Ryuu, looking around for another way.

"We can go from below," finished Kyu, pointing to a sewage drain cover.

* * *

The sewers. 

A myriad of smells and sounds intermingled with one another. Rats skittered from one pipe to another. Bugs—both dead and alive—seemed to be everywhere. And then there was the water. Murky, disgusting water that one couldn't even bear to look at.

"Ew, this reeks," complained Yuki. "Brilliant idea, Kyu," she said sarcastically.

Shizuko rolled her eyes, then closed them with an annoyed cringe as some water seeped into her boots. _Just great. _

Kyu was still grinning, even though Class A was kind of pissed off at him.

"Oh, gross, my shoes are getting dirty," whined Saburamarou.

"Live with it, IQ boy," muttered Shizuko.

Meg squealed a little. "A mouse!"

"It's just a little mouse," said Yuki, rolling her eyes.

"I don't like mice," said Meg defensively.

"Look, up ahead," said Hayato, pointing.

Everyone looked in the direction he was pointing. "I think that's our exit."

"Good eye," said Gouda.

A ladder stood in front of them. It seemed to lead upward to a small ray of light, above them.

They all looked at each other.

"Who wants to go first?" asked Shishido.

"Ladies first," offered Kinta, looking at Meg and Shizuko. Yuki rolled her eyes, while Kuniko looked a bit uneasy.

Shizuko frowned at the feigned chivalry. "All right then, Yuki, Meg, Kuniko, any one of you can go ahead, I'll follow…"

Three sets of skirts rustled as they ascended the ladder, with Shizuko bringing up the rear.

The boys followed, some with sighs of disappointment.

"Where do you suppose this leads to?" asked Yuki.

"Our doom, maybe," said Shizuko.

"Oh, ha ha, very funny," said Yuki.

"Seeing as we came from a sewer, it probably leads to a drain of some sort," said Ryuu from somewhere below.

"Yeah," agreed Kyu.

"Are we almost there, Meg?" asked Shizuko.

"Yeah, I'm almost at the top, wait, I'll push whatever it is that's covering the ladder," replied Meg.

They heard a soft clunk of metal against tile. "I'm out," Meg announced.

"What's up there?" Kyu asked.

"A bathroom, sort of," said Meg.

"We're in," said Kazuma.

They all climbed out, muttering a little as they shook off as much water as they could off their shoes.

Kyu opened the door leading out. "Everything seems to be clear."  
Ryuu came up to him as well and looked out at the corridor that they would be going out to. "Everything looks quiet."

"Too quiet," said Kyu. "What do you think, Ryuu?"

"It doesn't look like we have much of a choice. We'll have to come out of here, but be prepared for anything."

As the two classes stepped out of their entry point, the teachers with them followed, once in a while glaring at each other, as though blaming each other for all this trouble.

"Should we split up?" asked Kyu, uncertain.

_Yes, anything to get away from these Class A nuisances,_ thought Shizuko.

"We'd cover more ground that way. But wait, what exactly are we supposed to be doing here?" asked Yuki, turning to the teachers.

"First, we have to cover all the key points in this place," said Nanami. "We want to place bombs over all the weak areas in this place, then when the time is right, we can destroy Pluto once and for all."

"But, our greatest aim here is the Pluto leader," said Hongou. "Somehow we have to subdue him, or kill him if necessary."

"Here we go with that killing idea of yours," muttered Nanami.

"He'll be killed anyway if this place blows," retorted Hongou.

"Right," said Nanami, handing out miniature bombs to the students, who took them dubiously.

Kazuma flipped open his computer. "We need to find the weak points in this building. It shouldn't be too hard but…what the—?"

"What've you found, Kazuma?" asked Kyu.

"This mansion isn't what we first thought it was, guys."

"What do you mean?" asked Ryuu uneasily.

"There's a great power source coming from somewhere below. I'm thinking that the _real_ Pluto headquarters isn't really this mansion, but underground. I'm detecting a large number of signals crossing each other."

Shizuko looked up at all the stained glass windows, admiring them a bit. "Well, we'll have to give a bit of credit to this house's designer, he did a pretty good job on this place."

"Shizuko, this is no time to marvel at architecture," said Ryuu pointedly.

Kazuma continued typing on his computer. "There are hardly any weak areas, but we'll do a pretty good job if we knock out this place's main power source, and then, placing other explosives in surrounding areas, we can bring this place down in no time."

"So let's do it! Me and the rest of Class Q will just go this way, and you guys from Class A can go another way," piped up Kyu in an excited voice.

"Hongou and I'll take on the Pluto leader of we can find him," said Nanami. With a quick tip of his hat, he ran off in a different direction, with Hongou at his heels.

Class Q and Class A looked at each other apprehensively, then nodded and went off in different directions.

* * *

**Rants: yes, are you happy I continued the fic? You see, I called it Pluto Returns for a REASON: they're supposed to return and wreak havoc on DDS. If I wanted them to return and then get destroyed, maybe I would have given it a different title. Understand?**

**PLEASE REVIEW!**


	9. On the Run

**And so, DDS concieves a plan to bring down their arch nemesis. What kind of chaos will ensue while Class Q and Class A split up, as Nanami and Hongou search the headquarters for the Pluto leader, Anubis?  
Read on. **

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN DETECTIVE SCHOOL Q.

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**Chapter 9: On the Run**

As Class A bolted down a random hallway, Class Q looked at one another expectantly.

"So where do we start?" asked Kyu, turning to Kazuma.

"Well, like I said, most of the Pluto technology and headquarters is underneath this old heap, so we have to get to lower ground," said Kazuma. "We have to find a way down there. I'm positive that we can knock out the main power source directly."

"There has to be some kind of secret passageway somewhere around here," said Meg.

"Then we'd better start looking," said Ryuu, turning around to observe the place they were currently in.

They seemed to be on the ground floor, for now. The corridor they were in was quite deserted, but somewhere around the end of it seemed to have a weird aura. Trouble loomed ahead.

"I don't like the looks of this place too much," said Meg.

"We always seem to keep going to places where we feel uncomfortable with," muttered Shizuko.

"Maybe we have to go that way," said Kazuma, pointing to the end of the hall.

"And I rest my case," said Shizuko. "That direction is the one we're all most uncomfortable about."

"Any Pluto members'll have to answer to me," said Kinta, cracking his knuckles.

Kyu grinned. "Let's just go."  
They walked—or rather, sprinted—noiselessly down the hall…

"Oh, shoot," said Shizuko softly as they reached the end of it.

About a dozen Pluto members stood in front of them.

"Here we go again!" cried Kyu as the rest of them bolted down the rest of the hallway.

"Get them!" yelled the leading Pluto member.

"I thought you were going to handle it, Kinta!" said Kazuma.

"I would if we weren't bolting down this corridor for our lives!" cried Kinta.

"There's an intersection up ahead!" said Ryuu.

Three more corridors led away from the one they were running in.

"Split up!" cried Shizuko. "Just choose a hall and run for it!"  
Kinta and Kazuma, for no apparent reason, kept going forward.

Kyu took a sharp turn to the right, and Meg followed.

Shizuko, gritting her teeth, changed direction and swung to the left.

Ryuu swiftly veered to his left.

* * *

Kyu and Meg were running through the same corridor, with four Pluto members somewhere behind them. 

"We need to lose them somehow," said Kyu.

"Do you see them behind us?" asked Meg.

"No, not yet," said Kyu.

Kyu spotted a niche somewhere in front of them. Running ahead, he slipped into it, and pulled Meg along with him.

Meg seemed panicked for a moment, but breathed a sigh of relief when the Pluto members ran past them, not noticing that they were just in a deep recess along the hall.

Kyu was breathing heavily from all their running. "Are they gone?"

"Uh-huh," said Meg.

Kyu took a closer look at the niche they were in.

It turned out not to be a niche at all. It was just the upper landing to a set of stairs, leading downward into darkness.

Meg noticed his stare. "It's like the secret door all over again," she remarked.

Kyu grinned. "Do you want to go down there? Kazuma did say that everything was somewhere in a lower level…"

Meg swallowed nervously. "Do we have to?"

"Oh, come on, Meg, it's not like we've done worse things than this," said Kyu.

Meg sighed in exasperation. "All right."  
Kyu began walking down the stairs, pressing his hand to the wall for support. Meg gulped again and followed him.

Darkness surrounded them. Meg couldn't see her own hand when she attempted to wave it in front of her face.

Worse. She couldn't even see Kyu!

She began to worry.

"Kyu?" she said tentatively.

"Yeah?" his voice came from somewhere a bit further ahead.

"Where are you? I can't see anything," she said.

"Stretch out your hand," Kyu called.

Meg reached into the shadows. Her fingers brushed against another's, and then their hands met.

"Is that you, Kyu?" she asked.

"Yep, it's me," Kyu grinned.

She continued to hold on to his hand all the way down the stairs. Somehow, it gave her a very strange feeling of comfort, being there with Kyu.

_Here we are again,_ she thought. _It's just like when he held on to my hand in that secret room. How can he hold a girl's hand and act like it's nothing?_

She felt a blush forming on her cheeks at her next thought. _How does he really think of me?

* * *

_

Ryuu and Shizuko, meanwhile, ran down the hall, once in a while overtaking each other. 

"How do we lose these guys?" she demanded of him.

"I don't know!" Ryuu replied.

She seemed exasperated and annoyed at the same time. "After all that drama about your being a part—"  
Ryuu glared at her.

"—_former_ part of Pluto," she corrected hastily, "You have no idea how to get rid of these losers?"

"It's not like my grandfather actually had a chance to pass on the influence," said Ryuu.

"O-_kay_," said Shizuko. "Ever been in this place before?"

"It's familiar," said Ryuu. "I feel like I've been here, a long time ago."

"Anything you remember that'll help us?" Shizuko asked desperately.

Ryuu swung his hair away from his face and began thinking.

"Hurry..." she said in a worried tone, looking behind them.

Something like a light went on in Ryuu's eyes. "Down here, quick," he said, pulling her by the arm.

"Down where—_Whoa!_"

Ryuu had pushed back a tapestry, revealing a kind of secret passageway.

Only it wasn't really a passageway where you could walk carefully, oh no. It sloped dangerously downward, creating a kind of slide.

"_Ryuu!_" she said, out of shock.

"What, you wanted a way out, didn't you?" said Ryuu coolly.

Ryuu landed at the end of their slide feet first. He stepped away quickly as Shizuko finished her fall, feet first as well, although she landed with much less grace than he did.

It took nearly all of Shizuko's self control to keep from glaring at Ryuu at that moment; he looked like he was going to snicker.

"What _is_ this place?" she asked, brushing herself off.

"One of the more interesting places in this house," remarked Ryuu.

Shizuko's eyes widened at the sight in front of them.

* * *

Meg was startled. Kyu had stopped. 

"What is it, Kyu?" she asked.

"There's a door here," he answered.

"Is it open?" Meg asked.

Kyu fiddled with the doorknob, and it turned. "I guess it is," he said, surprised.

A hazy sort of light illuminated the room they were entering. Meg squinted slightly, then her eyes widened as she recognized what exactly she was staring at.

"Kyu…." She said, amazed.

"What?" he asked, slightly puzzled.

"It's…it's a maze," said Meg in awe.

* * *

Shizuko stared at the sight in front of her, and then back at Ryuu. "Is it…?" she left the sentence unfinished. 

Ryuu nodded, all seriousness. "Yes."

"It's a maze."

* * *

**Rants: I feel that this chapter is too short. how frustrating.  
More action in the next chapter, and it'll probably be a little longer….**

**PLEASE REVIEW!**


	10. Labyrinthine Headquarters

**OKAY, next chapter! **

**Argh, school is almost here! To everyone who's reading this right now:**

**Since my classes start on June 14th, 2005, I'm sorry to say that I won't be able to write more DSQ fics for a while…School comes first, after all. But anyway, if I _DO_ have time, I'll write. Just don't expect me to post as quickly or as often… **

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN DETECTIVE SCHOOL Q.

* * *

**

**Chapter 10: Labyrinthine Headquarters**

Kinta flexed his muscles and grinned at the pile of knocked out Pluto members before him.

"Told you I'd handle it," said Kinta with a tone of superiority.

"Sure, but you ran like a baby before you could 'handle' it," said Kazuma, scoffing.

"What was that!" said Kinta, raising his fist at Kazuma.

Kazuma rolled his eyes. "Where do we go now?"

"You're the one with the computer, find us a way to wherever we're supposed to place these things," said Kinta, holding up a batch of the miniature bombs that Mr. Nanami had handed them.

"All right, all right, I'll handle it," said the boy genius.

"You'd better hurry it up, more of them are coming," said Kinta, seeing more Pluto members at the end of the corridor.

"Just keep them away from me for a minute, I'm busy," said Kazuma, sitting down to concentrate on his laptop.

Kinta began fighting Pluto members in the background while Kazuma typed into his computer at incredible speed.

One of the thugs got Kinta around the neck and began trying to suffocate him. Kinta's face went purple and his tongue stuck out. "K-Kazuma…Hurry it up," he choked out.

"Hold on a minute, Kinta," said Kazuma, completely oblivious to the fact that Kinta was practically being strangled and trying to get at the Pluto members. While he struggled using his arms to pry himself from the Pluto member's grip, he used his legs at the same time to deliver well-placed kicks into the ruffians' faces.

Finally, by stepping on the strangler's foot, Kinta managed to get free and punched the Pluto member, knocking him into the wall.

"I've got it!" said Kazuma triumphantly. He stood up proudly. "Let's go, Kinta!"  
He saw the newly added knocked-out thugs. "Did something happen while I was typing?" he asked with a curious expression on his face.

Kinta, who was panting heavily like a dog, shook his head. "No, nothing happened at all," he said sarcastically.

* * *

"How do we get through this maze?" asked Kyu. 

"This can help," said Meg, spotting something on the wall. "I think it's a plan of this maze. And…" She suddenly gasped.

"What is it, Meg?" asked Kyu.

She turned to him, pink orbs wide. "This maze was designed by 'The Nine-Headed Dragon'!"

* * *

"This maze was what?" 

Shizuko looked at Ryuu in amazement. "Your ancestor designed this maze? And he was called _what_?"

"He was called 'The Nine-Headed Dragon'," explained Ryuu patiently. "And I only found out recently that he was my ancestor…and he was involved with Pluto as well. He designed The Class Q's school building."

"We're having our lessons in a place built by a Pluto member? Kind of ironic, don't you think?"

"Yes, and aside from that, Kyu and Meg got trapped in a secret room he created in the building."

"How'd you find out he was your ancestor? And his involvement with Pluto?"

"There's this old photograph of him that we found. He looks like my grandfather. And aside from that…"

Ryuu held up his wrist. "He has the Pluto symbol tattooed on his wrist. Kazuma enlarged the photo and we saw it."

"Do all Pluto members have similar tattoos?"

"Yes," Ryuu admitted.

"Where's yours?"  
Ryuu suddenly looked uncomfortable.

"Never mind," said Shizuko, sensing his reluctance.  
She turned to the maze. "Do you know how to get through it?"  
Ryuu looked thoughtful. "Maybe."

* * *

"Do you have the maze memorized?" asked Kyu. 

"Of course, Kyu. And I'm sure I can find the way out of here," Meg answered.

"Then let's go!" said Kyu excitedly.

Grabbing Meg's hand, he traipsed into the maze.

They walked down the path, squinting to see in the hazy light.

Reaching one intersection, Kyu turned to Meg. "Which way?"

Meg closed her eyes, envisioning the maze plan. "Right, then after the second turn, left."

"All right," said Kyu. They began walking, stopping once in a while so that Meg could think.

All of a sudden they reached what seemed to be a dead end.

"I thought you said to turn left at that last fork," said Kyu.

"That's not supposed to be a dead end," said Meg nervously.

They moved forward and sighed in relief. There was a turn.

"This light isn't too good," said Kyu.

"This way," said Meg.

Kyu was only too happy to follow.

* * *

Shizuko and Ryuu were getting more than just a little frustrated. 

"Are you sure it's this way?" asked Shizuko. She had laid off on the sarcasm and was now just focusing on getting out of this maze.

"No," admitted Ryuu.

Shizuko sighed. "I wish that there had been a plan of some sort at the entrance."

"There wasn't, unfortunately," said Ryuu, taking another wrong turn and leading them to a dead end.

"I wonder how deep we are in this maze," said Shizuko, looking over her shoulder.

"This light makes it even harder to navigate," said Ryuu with a sigh.

"This is serious," Shizuko said quietly. "If we don't get out of here—"

"We'll be stuck here forever," finished Ryuu, looking a bit worried.

"And we're not even sure how to get back to the beginning," said Shizuko.

Ryuu sighed. "This is getting tiresome."

"I wish we could see over the top of these walls," said Shizuko. "Then we'd know which way to go and how deep we are."  
The walls were higher than Ryuu's head, and he was an inch or two taller than she was.

She sighed.

Ryuu seemed to have been struck with an idea. "Maybe you can," he said.

"What do you mean?" she asked suspiciously.

He looked her up and down, then measured the wall's height mentally.

She looked at him with a confused expression. He continued to look at the wall, then at her, then back at the wall.

He remained silent for a time.

Then, suddenly…

"Climb on my shoulders."

"What?"

"Climb on my shoulders," Ryuu repeated.

Shizuko's jaw dropped. "You can't be serious."

"I am."

"No way."

"Just do it," said Ryuu. "You don't want to be stuck here forever either."

"Fine," Shizuko said. "Don't drop me," she warned.

"I won't," Ryuu said. Interlacing his fingers, he created a brace for Shizuko to step on, and she climbed onto his shoulders.

She sat on his shoulders for a few moments, trying to reach the top of the wall. "I need to go higher," she said.

"Stand on my shoulders, then."

"Are you sure? You okay down there?"

"I'm perfectly fine. Go."  
She brought her feet under her, and one fluid motion, she stood on his shoulders. She felt dizzy at this height already, and nearly swayed.

Swallowing, she looked out over the walls of the maze. What she saw stunned her.

The walls interlocking with each other created an amazing number of twists, turns, and dead ends. A labyrinth that was a geometrical revolution.

"We're almost there," she told Ryuu. "Just a few more turns, I think."

She carefully climbed off his shoulders. "Thanks."  
Ryuu brushed himself off, nodded, then motioned for her to continue on their way.

* * *

Kyu and Meg had escaped the maze quite easily. 

"We made it," said Kyu. "Your photographic memory is amazing, Meg!"

"It's nothing," said Meg, flushing with embarrassment.

"So what is this place?" asked Kyu.

They had reached another cluster of hallways. However, it was a contrast to the hallways in the house they had come from. Everything down here was…rigid, precise. The walls seemed to have been chrome plated. The floor was made of marble, smooth and having an almost glassy shine.

"This place looks like some kind of lab," said Kyu.

"It probably is, since Pluto has all sorts of technology. And so well hidden," remarked Meg.

"I wonder how many people have died trying to infiltrate this place," Kyu mused.

"You don't think we're going to die here, too, do you?" said Meg, worried.

"No, of course not," said Kyu, with a forced laugh.

When Meg still looked upset, Kyu put his hand on her shoulder. "Come on Meg, you don't have to worry, we'll get out of this alive. I promise that."  
Despite her anxiety, Meg smiled. "Thanks, Kyu."

* * *

**Rants: Gaaaah, I have to stop here again. I'll try to get to the action scenes in the next chapters.**

**PLEASE REVIEW!**


	11. A Victory for DDS

**Honestly, I'm dreading school…**

**Anyway, this is my next chapter, I hope you enjoy…this is pretty long.**

**NOTE! This chapter has been re-uploaded because of a typographical error and wrong word usage. **

**Some credit goes to the site "Kotae Wa Hitotsu" for some information regarding Ryuu's past, as well as some other in-depth info about the characters…I think…anyway, thanks, zephy!**

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN DETECTIVE SCHOOL Q.

* * *

**

**Chapter 11: A Victory for DDS**

Kyu and Meg walked along the underground hallways of the headquarters. They were able to sneak glances into the rooms without being caught, miraculously. Each laboratory, or whatever it really was, looked wildly futuristic.

One room was stark white; with chrome-plated pillars that were reminiscent of Stonehenge, holding up glass canisters that were filled with bubbling liquid, one glowing an eerie red and another, an acid green…another room was bounded on all sides by computer screens, showing strange charts, tables, and graphs of oddities….another was plastered with diagrams of skulls, optic lenses, and what seemed to be strands of DNA. Microscopes, computers, and other odds and ends gave the overall effect of a present-day Frankenstein laboratory. And Meg once caught sight of a bunch of bloody scalpels next to what, horribly, seemed to be a human face, without a skull. A mask made of human skin.

"Kyu, let's get out of here," she whispered in fear, grabbing his arm.

Kyu, who had just seen a cut-off human hand next to a bloody eyeball in the room across the hall, gulped and nodded, indicating his agreement.

They hurried through that particular hall hastily.

* * *

Kinta and Kazuma, meanwhile, were trying to gain access to a high security door. 

First, Kinta had beaten up the Pluto members at the door with his martial arts. Now, he merely waited impatiently for Kazuma to break the encrypted password to get in.

"Why'd you get me here, anyway?" asked Kinta with a hint of annoyance in his voice.

"Because this is the quickest way to the underground headquarters, and it would be a whole lot easier to get through here than to waste time looking all over this place for secret passageways," said Kazuma as his software did all the work.

The light in the door flashed green, and the words "_Access granted!"_ appeared on the screen of his laptop.

"Told you so," said Kazuma, grinning proudly.

"Know-it-all," muttered Kinta as he followed the young techno genius.

Kazuma rolled his eyes at the flippant remark. They descended the flight of stairs leading into the heart of the Pluto headquarters.

* * *

Nanami carefully looked around the corner of a turn, then motioned to Hongou to follow him. 

Narrowing his eyes dangerously, the dark-clad instructor followed his extravagantly white-suited "partner".

"Are you sure it was a good idea to leave the bombs to the students?" asked Hongou skeptically.

"Look, Mr. Dan told us to take these kids with us, and whether we like it or not, we have to respect the fact that they are pretty capable students," said Nanami as they slunk down another corridor.

"Are you sure that Pluto didn't get to Mr. Dan the last time they captured him?" asked Hongou with an edge of suspicion in his voice.

"You heard what he said before," replied Nanami. "He assured us that the hypnosis didn't take effect."

"But how sure are we that Mr. Dan is in his right mind as of now? How do we know that he didn't just send his two best classes and the both of us here just to lead us into a trap?"

"That's something we're going to have to risk. Think about this, Mr. Conspiracy. Don't you think he would have killed his own niece for finding the Pluto headquarters if he wasn't in his right mind and working for Pluto?"

"Unless he avoided killing one for the sake of reeling in an even bigger catch," Hongou countered.

Nanami fell silent.

"Don't have a clever answer for that one, Nanami?"

"Why do you doubt the very person who got you back into the business, Hongou?" asked Nanami pointedly.

"I'm not in doubt about Mr. Dan, it's just that this plan is too simple to work, and sending the two classes here could pose a threat to them as well."

"Since when do you care about the students?"

"Whoever said I cared about them? The two best classes are the greatest assets of DDS, and sending them on a mission this dangerous puts them in peril."

Nanami smirked, reading between the lines of Hongou's words. _Tough guy doesn't want his students to get hurt.

* * *

_

"Your ancestor should have made an easier maze," said Shizuko as they finally escaped the labyrinth. 

Ryuu shook his head. "Well, he _was_ an unusual guy. He never made more than ten of a particular thing…"

"That's why he was called 'The Nine-Headed Dragon'?"

"Yes," replied Ryuu. "Hn…"

"What?"

"Have you ever heard of the 'Testa del Drago'?" asked Ryuu as they made their way through a cluster of chrome-plated hallways. Their shoes made no noise on the marble floor.

"Wait, that sounds familiar," said Shizuko, racking her brain. "Are you talking about that dragon-headed violin?"

"Yes," said Ryuu, surprised that she knew. _But then, of course, she is a violinist, she would have encountered it somewhere…_

"Oh _no_, don't tell me," said Shizuko. "Your ancestor crafted _that_ famous violin? The one that's been coveted along with it's eight other brothers?"  
Ryuu stared at her in disbelief. (Oh, that would be such a cute expression.)

Shizuko gave him a look that said, _"What, it doesn't take a genius to figure it out."  
_Suddenly her gaze went past him, into a door behind him. Her eyes widened in shock.

"What is it?" asked Ryuu.

In answer, she pointed a finger at the room behind him.

He turned around, and his eyes widened in alarm.

It was a dismembered human hand, sitting next to an eyeball.

"Please tell me that's not real," she told him desperately.

"Aa…" Ryuu trailed off. "That can't be good…"

Shizuko tugged at his arm, "Let's just get out of here."

Ryuu nodded, and they picked up their pace again.

* * *

At that moment, Nanami and Hongou had found a way to the underground headquarters. 

"Those thugs were practically begging to be beaten up and you hardly hit them," muttered Nanami.

"I knocked over more of them than you did," snarled Hongou.

"But I finished them off," Nanami retorted.

"Shut up," said Hongou.

The two teachers made their way through the complexity of corridors easily. How they knew where to go, well, heaven only knows.

They came up to a dead end, where a single door stood, waiting to be opened.

The two teachers looked at each other apprehensively, then, they both placed a hand on the doorknob and pulled it open.

What they saw was unexpected.

They entered a vast, cavernous room, circular in shape. The walls were a harsh white, almost blinding them. The high ceiling and bright lights made them feel as though they were in some kind of huge arena.

As they continued their entry, they realized that the room wasn't white at all…The circular walls were mirrors.

"What the heck is this?" said Hongou.

"They've been expecting us," said Nanami, looking over his shoulder, reducing his eyes to slits in a threatening manner.

"Welcome, sirs. Your presence is most welcome here," said a deep, raspy voice.

"Damn," muttered Hongou. "Spare us the welcome and come down here," he called out, his harsh voice echoing off the cylindrical room.

Another door opened, and a man, with unnatural blond hair and a pallid complexion entered the room, coat hanging off his shoulders.

He stood at one end of the room, keeping his distance from the two instructors.

"Who are you?" demanded Nanami.

"Why, forgive me, I haven't introduced myself. I am Anubis, the current leader of Pluto."

"So you're the guy we've been looking for, then," said Hongou.

"Of course. After all, that's what you are always after, correct? I'll repeat what I once said to your principal once before. We are Light and Dark, you and I. Without DDS, Pluto would never be as great as it is now, and in the same way, without the darkness the light would have no meaning. I merely come here to pay my compliments, and my thanks to your organization for making Pluto stronger than ever."

Hongou scoffed at Anubis's statement. "If you think that we came here to make small talk, you're mistaken."

"We've come here to settle the score, once and for all," said Nanami.

"Really. Then we've encountered each other in exactly the right place."

"What's this place for?" asked Nanami, gesturing to the circular room.

"Oh, this? Why, it's the ideal place for battle in this entire headquarters. The circular shape provides no way to get cornered. And its sheer size offers a wide range of ways to attack your opponent."

"Your meeting us here can only mean one thing. You're challenging us to battle, aren't you?" said Hongou.

"Not necessarily. However, since you seem completely intent on this 'battle', as you call it, then, we fight," said Anubis, an evil smile curling his lips. "You may start attacking me in any way you wish. Fair warning: I won't hold back on my skills."

Hongou and Nanami glared at each other for a moment, then, turning to Anubis as one, they ran across the room and set off a chain of attacks in collaboration.

As Hongou threw a punch that Anubis avoided easily, Nanami gave a well-placed kick aiming for Anubis's ankles. However, Anubis leaped into the air to evade Nanami's kick, and the sleeves of his coat narrowly missed hitting both Nanami and Hongou.

The two teachers were stunned at Anubis's skill, but continued attacking. For once, neither one complained about the arrogance of the other. Fighting in cooperation seemed to be their only chance against defeating this guy.

* * *

Kyu suddenly stopped in the middle of the hallway they were in. 

"What is it, Kyu?" asked Meg.

"I heard something," he said, turning around.

Voices, soft but distinct, could be heard from one end of the hall. A pair of shadows seemed to be making the turn that led into the hallway they were in.

Meg came closer to Kyu and gripped his arm nervously. Subconsciously, Kyu put his arm around her, watching as the shadows came closer. He stepped backward cautiously, pulling Meg along with him carefully.

"You sure it's this way?" one of the voices said.

"Of course I'm sure, it's in the plan," said another voice, slightly irritated.

"How can you be sure that that plan isn't out of date?"

"Because I just pulled it up from the control room we were in earlier, ya big bonehead," said the irritated voice.

"What did you call me?"  
The two bickering silhouettes came into view. Kyu and Meg sighed in relief as Kinta and Kazuma appeared around the corner.

"Hey, it's Kyu and Meg," said Kinta, interrupting whatever sarcastic comment Kazuma was about to say.

"Finally we found you guys," said Kyu, grinning.

"Hi, you two," said Kazuma.

"We're trying to get to the main power source like Kazuma said earlier," said Kinta. "Any of you seen something that looks like it's easy to blow up?"

Kyu grinned sheepishly. "Not really."

"But it's somewhere down this hallway," said Kazuma, pointing. "Let's just all go together, then."  
Kyu and Meg looked at each other, then followed Kinta and Kazuma as they debated again over the quickest way to get there.

* * *

Ryuu and Shizuko made a couple of turns through the headquarters. 

"Do you think Mr. Nanami and Mr. Hongou have found the Pluto leader yet?" asked Shizuko.

"Anubis? I don't know…but I have this weird feeling that they found their way down here, somehow…" said Ryuu.

"The more important question, Ryuu…Do you think the two of them will stand a chance against this Anubis guy?"

Ryuu's expression clouded. "Anubis has skills, that's all I know…and as for Yurie…"  
Shizuko rubbed the back of her neck where the tranquilizer dart had been before. "She's a pretty sharp shooter."

"If Anubis doesn't get rid of the teachers, Yurie might," said Ryuu in worry. "Those two probably have something up their sleeves."

"Sneaky little creeps as usual, then?"

"Hn."  
She pointed to a door at the end of the hall they were in. "What's that?"  
Ryuu stared at it. "I'm not sure…"

"There's no other way from here…unless we go all the way back and start at another intersection."

"Let's just go forward."  
Shizuko opened the door cautiously and peeked in. With her free hand, she motioned to Ryuu to follow.

The two of them peeked through the door.

A red-headed woman stood inside, looking at a bunch of glass panels…and inside the glass panels were…

Shizuko gasped softly. "It's the teachers," she whispered.

"And Anubis," muttered Ryuu.

"They don't seem to see her looking at them," said Shizuko.

"It's a bunch of two-way mirrors…they can't see her but she can see them," said Ryuu.

Yurie was holding something in her hand. Shizuko focused on it, and her eyes widened when she realized what it was. "It's a gun…"

"I see," said Ryuu. "If Anubis is close to losing…"

"She'll get rid of the teachers with a couple of bullets," finished Shizuko.

She began to move forward to the woman, but Ryuu grabbed her by the arm, restraining her. "No, don't."

"Why not?" she whispered to him. "The teachers are gonna be in trouble if we don't stop her."

"They're not in trouble yet," said Ryuu. "Look, as you can see with their fight, they seem pretty evenly matched right now, no one's losing, yet. When the scales tip in our favor, and Yurie realizes it, she'll raise the gun…but we won't gain anything yet by attacking her now."  
Shizuko sighed, realizing that Ryuu was right. "So what now? We watch while our two teachers battle it out and do nothing?"  
Ryuu loosened his grip on her arm. "That's all we can do now…we have no choice."

* * *

Kyu, Meg and Kinta stared at the sight in front of them. 

"That's what's powering this place?"

"Yep," said Kazuma, unfazed.

"It's…huge," said Meg, taking in the sight.

"Uh-huh," said Kazuma, not caring.

Kinta fished out the miniature bombs that Nanami had handed them earlier. "So where do we put these things?"

"Just put them into the surrounding areas, Kinta, then we dump the rest of these things on our way out…"

"Why was this thing our target, anyway?" asked Kyu as he helped Kinta lay out the explosives.

"Simple," said Kazuma in a know-it-all tone. "This power source powers everything in this place, right?"

"Right," said Kyu.

"So this thing is, obviously, connected to basically everything in this place. All the technology depends on this power. So if we take out the power source, we take out everything in this place…and if we get to scatter the rest of our bombs in this place, _voila_! Instant recipe for destroyed Pluto!"

"Ooooohhh…" said Kinta and Kyu.

"Well, let's get to work, then," said Kazuma, shutting his laptop.

"We've got a lot of power source to cover before we finish…"

* * *

Nanami fell to the ground, panting. 

_This guy…How can he be this strong?_

He watched as Hongou released another series of attacks at the blond.

The next thing he knew, Hongou was sprawled on the floor, clutching his stomach where he'd been hit.

Nanami, finding his strength, got up and kicked Anubis in the face, following it with a well-aimed punch to the solar plexus.

Anubis staggered, then countered Nanami with a blow to the chest…Nanami stepped aside, and Hongou appeared behind him, stopping Anubis's punch with one of his hands. Then using Anubis's force against him, Hongou twisted Anubis's wrist and pushed him, hard.

Nanami was waiting for that moment…He quickly lashed out with his foot, sweeping Anubis right off his feet and making him fall to the ground.

* * *

Unknown to the teachers, Yurie was standing behind the mirrors, watching the scene unfold. 

She saw Anubis fall to the ground, looking as though he was defeated. The weakened blond raised his arm…

At the same time, Yurie raised her automatic pistol. She took careful aim, focusing on the white-suited one first.

She slowly squeezed the trigger….

"NO!" someone screamed.

Ryuu made a move to stop Shizuko, but too late.

She had run, with a yell towards his former caretaker and delivered a kick towards the firearm.

The pistol clattered to the marble floor, spinning towards Ryuu's feet.

Yurie only seemed mildly surprised.

Shizuko faced her, glaring angrily.

"So, it's the prodigy," said Yurie.

"I'm _not_ your prodigy. I never was," said Shizuko.

"So the master has told you all about it."

"I'd heard enough."

Yurie stepped to one side, trying to circle her, but Shizuko, eyes narrowed in suspicion, stepped in the opposite direction, so the two females remained the same distance, circling each other warily.

"It's such a shame, someone with your skill. And intelligence. Wasted in a place like DDS."

"It's not a waste," said Shizuko. "Using brains for an organization like yours is an even bigger misuse."

"From your point of view."

* * *

Ryuu stood at one side, not sure of what to do. The pistol lay uselessly at his feet. 

As he watched, Yurie and Shizuko circled each other like vultures ready for a meal. Through the glass panes, Anubis, Nanami and Hongou were having another battle, as Anubis had recovered some strength and began attacking again.

Suddenly, the sound of bone against flesh brought him back to his senses.

Yurie and Shizuko were having a fight of their own.

"Shizuko!"

"No, Ryuu, I'll handle this!" she yelled back.

Yurie was trained well, Shizuko had to admit. Even her few years in Kung fu practice couldn't compete against this….but she managed, miraculously. Cartwheeling, her foot made contact with Yurie's chin, sending the redhead reeling. Recovering, though, Yurie delivered a blow that Shizuko barely managed to avoid. The fist grazed her right cheek.

As the girl got flung backward a bit, she braced her feet against the marble floor, sliding to a stop. She raced towards Yurie again, with a new series of attacks.

Punch, block, punch, block, kick, punch, block…

Suddenly an unexpected pain tore through Shizuko's shoulder.

"Ow," she cried, looking at her shoulder. The sleeve had torn, revealing a deep cut.

Looking back at Yurie in surprise, Shizuko saw that she had a small knife in her hand.

_How did she get that without my noticing?_

Ignoring the pain spreading from her shoulder, she launched towards Yurie, kicking the knife out of the woman's hand.

The knife soared through the air, embedding itself in a nearby wall. It quivered there ominously.

A rush of adrenaline rushed through her limbs again, temporarily masking the pain from her bleeding shoulder.

However, the woman had no intention of giving in to a teenager so easily. She delivered a sharp kick to Shizuko's stomach, knocking the wind out of her and sending her to a wall nearby.

Ryuu's eyes widened in shock and started to come toward her, but Shizuko raised an arm to stop him. She was breathing heavily.

Yurie stood in front of her with raised eyebrows. "Pity. You know that with this organization you could have gone far. That DDS just had to taint your extraordinary mind. But then again, you were a good prodigy…"

Something suddenly flew through the air towards her face.  
Yurie suddenly groaned. Shizuko seemed to have recovered.

"I…"

She delivered another punch.

"Am not…"

She kicked Yurie squarely across her face.

"Your _PRODIGY_!"

Yurie, taken aback by the sudden strength, collapsed on the floor. She lay there, unmoving.

A shot was heard.

She was gone.

Gasping for air, Shizuko fell to her knees. The adrenaline rush had worn off, and the pain in her shoulder returned at full force.

* * *

Nanami and Hongou, however, were turning out to be a different story. 

Anubis recovered unbelievably from their attacks and was now fighting with a vengeance.

Unexpectedly, Anubis's foot came out of nowhere and hit Nanami directly in the stomach.

"Nanami!" Hongou yelled, but he too, got struck in the face, and fell to the ground next to his partner.

"Hongou," Nanami groaned weakly.

"Shizuko, are you all right?"

Ryuu came up to her, Yurie's pistol in his hand.

"I'm fine, I'm fine," Shizuko said. Her gaze fell to the pistol in his hand. "Did you do that?"

"I didn't even hit her," said Ryuu, pointing to a bullet in the wall and a scorch mark. "It was an accident."

"Oh. So she's just knocked out."

"You did that."

The two of them stared at the fight going on behind the glass.

"They're in trouble," said Shizuko worriedly. She gazed back at the pistol in Ryuu's hand, then at him.

"I can't do it. Can you?" he asked her.

"Probably…but I can't, I'll risk hitting the teachers…"

"They're down right now, Anubis is in plain view."

"You do it. You deserve to stop the Pluto leader. You show them that you really don't want to be part of this place."

"I know I should, but I'm no good with this…"

"So…only one way to do it," said Shizuko, getting up. "We have to get in there and get the gun to one of them."  
Ryuu nodded, then looked again at her bleeding shoulder. "You sure you can manage with that shoulder?"

"Yes, I can barely feel it," Shizuko said.

Ryuu nodded, and they both rushed to the door into the battle room.

* * *

Anubis stood over the two instructors, a solemn grin on his face. "Didn't I tell you that it was useless?"  
Nanami and Hongou seemed wasted, tired, and even worse, defeated. 

Anubis shook his head. "I gave you fair warning. You underestimated me. If this isn't proof that Pluto is the greater one against DDS, then, I don't know what is…"

"Mr. Hongou!" a voice yelled.

Anubis turned at the noise. "What—?"

Something metallic flashed through the air, then landed right next to Mr. Hongou's fist.

As Anubis turned back to his two opponents, a shot echoed through the circular room, and one of the glass panels shattered.

Blood began to blossom over Anubis's shirt. It spread quickly.

Anubis stared, dumbfounded, at Mr. Hongou, who held a smoking pistol.

The blond turned to the grave-looking figure of Ryuu by the door. "M-Master…" he choked out softly.

Then he collapsed on the floor, never to breathe again.

* * *

Ryuu and Shizuko sighed in relief as the two teachers rose to their feet. 

"Good work, you two," said Hongou, in his usual gruff manner.

"The next person that stands in our way is mine," said Nanami, brushing some dirt off his white suit.

"Whatever," said Hongou.

As the four of them exited the room through the glass panel that Mr. Hongou shattered, someone kicked Nanami in the face painfully.

"This isn't over," said Yurie, who stood before them.

"Oh, yes it is," said Nanami, raising the pistol which he took from Hongou.

Another shot was heard.

* * *

The group exited the room, then ran down the corridors. 

"Mr. Hongou!" a familiar voice called. "Ryuu!"  
They turned around.

"Kyu!" Ryuu said in surprise.

Kyu, Kinta, Meg and Kazuma ran over to them. "We've taken care of the main power source, the bombs have been planted," said Kazuma.

"Good work," said Hongou. Turning to Nanami, he asked, "What about your class?"

"They stayed aboveground, I think, taking care of the Pluto members on the surface."

"Fine," said Hongou. "Class Q. Let's go!"

* * *

Above ground, however, Class A wasn't having too much luck... 

"Aaah!" Saburamarou screamed as a Pluto member almost got him.

"Don't be such a baby, Saburamarou," said Yuki, knocking out the Pluto member.

"We're surrounded!" said Gouda, stepping backwards with the rest of Class A.

The thugs circled them threateningly.

"All right, then, but before you kill us…" said Hayato mysteriously, "How about a game of cards!"  
Snapping his fingers, cards flew everywhere, hitting the Pluto members, who were caught off guard.

"What the heck!"

"Gah!"

"Go!" cried Yuki, pushing through the crowd of ruffians.

Saburamarou, in fright and terror, overtook them in running, looking incredibly ridiculous.

"I'm definitely going to switch schools next year….maybe I'll be an accountant instead!" he wailed as he scampered out of there.

The rest of the Class A members looked embarrassed and confused. (Again, sweatdrops.)

As the Pluto members recovered from the shock of having cards suddenly appear and attack them, Class A took the advantage and began attacking them.

Gouda, Shishido, and Hayato took on as many as 5 members at once, aided and abetted once in a while by Hayato's magic tricks.

Yuki and Kuniko worked as a team, surprisingly, and took down almost as many thugs as the boys did.

Soon, all that was left was a bunch of moaning and knocked-out ruffians.

* * *

Class Q and the two teachers came out of the mansion's main entrance. 

"Class A! Excellent work!" yelled out Mr. Nanami, running towards them. "Now let's go!"  
Everyone looked at each other for a split second before running off the mansion's immense grounds and going out the high, elaborately welded gate.

Kinta shut the gate after them, and ran for cover.

Nanami fished out what seemed to be a small remote control from out of his white jacket. He pressed the button firmly.

The ground shook beneath them, causing some of them to lose their balance. Kyu caught Meg in his arms before she could fall.

Under their feet, a major explosion was taking place deep in the heart of the Pluto headquarters. The bombs around the main reactor detonated at the same time, collapsing it, making it fall in on itself. The force and intensity of the blast wiped out everything: the laboratories, the technology, the whole lot.

Finally, with a huge groan, the mansion, that beautifully built mansion, fell in on itself, since the ground underneath it, its foundation, had been destroyed.

The DDS members stared at it, the result of their work.

Then, slowly, deliberately, a big cheer rose from them as they realized….

Pluto was gone! Destroyed!

Class Q celebrated with Class A, screaming in delight as they jumped up and down, looking a bit ridiculous, but then, who cared?

Kinta ruffled Kyu's hair, a big grin on his face.

Meg was hugging Kyu, laughing out loud as Kinta gathered all of Class Q into a group hug.

The two teachers looked at each other, still annoyed, still hating each other's guts…but, startlingly, Nanami extended his hand to shake Hongou's.

Hongou shook his hand, gruffly.

Class A could hardly keep their excitement inside either. They cheered along with Class Q.

* * *

When they returned to DDS, Principal Dan was there to welcome them, smiling proudly. 

"Well done, Class Q, Class A. You have all made DDS proud today. At last, one of our greatest enemies, Pluto, has been destroyed forever…."

* * *

Later that evening, there was an official ceremony in the auditorium, for the recognition of both Class Q and Class A in the most challenging mission that they had. Principal Dan himself pinned medals on them, each bearing the symbol of DDS: a pair of scales, symbolizing justice... 

"This is to show everyone how you have done DDS a great deed, probably the greatest deed you have ever done. Thank you both, Class Q,..and Class A."

The whole of the DDS community clapped and cheered for them.

Then, Mr. Nanami and Mr. Hongou were called up to the stage for their medals, and for once, they weren't glaring daggers at each other. In fact, they seemed to be…getting along?

Principal Dan pinned their medals on, and they glinted in the stage lights.

"These two teachers have proven that even the most polar of opposites can, under a single cause, be untied to form a strong team. Congratulations, Koutarou Nanami, and Hongou Tatsumi!"

Everyone, including Class Q and Class A, applauded them enthusiastically, Kinta putting a wolf-whistle for good measure.

Taken a bit aback by Mr. Dan's statement, the two teachers stared at each other, then laughed.

* * *

The next day, Kyu was still glowing from the events of last night. 

"The ceremony was great, wasn't it, Ryuu?" asked Kyu as they walked along the corridor of Class Q's old school building.

"Yeah, it was," replied the blue-haired boy as he opened the door to their classroom.

The first thing that both of them saw were Kinta and Kazuma, having their usual debate about old-fashioned versus technology…

And Shizuko was there, her shoulder in bandages, reading another mystery novel.

Meg grinned at the two boys as they entered the room.

"Hi, you two," Meg greeted them cheerfully.

"Hi," said Ryuu.

"Hey, Meg," said Kyu, grinning at her happily.

As Kyu and Meg got into a conversation about their past cases, Ryuu came over to Shizuko.

"Hey, how's the shoulder healing?"

"It's fine," said Shizuko, putting down her book.

"Yeah, well, at least it wasn't serious."  
She nodded.

"Are you going to tell anyone yet?" asked Shizuko in an undertone.

"Maybe, someday, but since Pluto isn't a threat anymore, I guess there's no harm in not telling anymore…"

"True, true…" agreed Shizuko. "But you do know that you will have to admit it sometime."

"Yes."

* * *

Kyu turned around to see Mr. Hongou standing in the doorway, looking like his usual old grumpy self. 

"Here we go again…" mumbled Kyu as he took his seat.

"Settle down, Class Q, the lessons have begun," said Mr. Hongou.

Apparently, the ceremony last night hadn't done much to change his personality…

"Kinta! What do you do when you want to lift fingerprints from oil-absorbing objects like paper!" Mr. Hongou shot at the martial artist.

"Huh! Uhhh…Dust them for it?"

"WRONG!"

…Or his teaching techniques.

The rest of Class Q looked desperately at each other, with the exception of Ryuu.

_This is gonna be a looooong lesson…_ thought Kyu with a sheepish grin.

**-:OWARI:-

* * *

**

**rants: AND THAT'S IT!**

**this is the real ending! And did you all like the turnout?**

**PLEASE REVIEW!**

**And by the way, the answer to Mr. Hongou's question, how to lift fingerprints from oil-absorbing surfaces like paper….**

**There's no point in dusting paper for prints, because prints left on smoother, nonporous surfaces are made up of the oily sweat of the fingers… on paper, the oil will have been absorbed by the paper, making it untraceable by dusting.**

**Instead, you should spray the paper with a chemical called _ninhydrin. _Then, steam iron the paper and wait for the prints to appear. **

**Kinta: awww, I knew that, really, I did!**

**Kazuma: _-scoffing- _Yeah, right. **

**Anyway….PLEASE REVIEW!**


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